


I Lose Myself in You, Blue Wonderful

by karovie, knifeboye



Series: Blue Wonders [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Badass Lance, But it's there, Canon Universe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Kidnapped Lance, Lance (Voltron) Whump, Lance is a Good Fucking Paladin, M/M, Minor Klance, Pining Lance (Voltron), Pre-Season/Series 03, THERE IS ART!, and then some by myself, angsty keith, but Lance saves himself in this one, capable lance, done by the beautiful lovely talented karovie, he does get hurt, he rlly does get a gr8 arc in this i swear, if u ship lotor/lance get outta here u nasties this isnt for u, im sorry, it's really background and not essential to the plot, just some wholesome smart capable strong Lance content, lance decks lotor lmao, lance fanservice, lotor is evil, more canon/realistic with their interactions, sorry ahh, strong lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-09 17:23:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11673690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karovie/pseuds/karovie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/knifeboye/pseuds/knifeboye
Summary: Keith didn’t realize he was shouting until alarmed voices met his ears, and frantic questions assaulted him. He didn’t know what he was saying- didn’t even know if he was even speaking words. But the paladins knew what had happened- knew what the anguish in Keith’s voice meant, and shocked cries and choked sobs met his ears, now.He was too late.Lance was gone.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The one where Lance gets taken by Lotor's soldiers, and meets someone strange in the prisons.((This fic has art!))





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all:  
> This fic is a project that Karoline and I have been working on since February- before any sort of spoilers were released about season three. We are so happy to see that so many things we predicted were canon! The timeline for this fic is before season three- probably late season two.  
> NOTE: this fic is a lance fanservice! It will focus mainly on Lance as a character, his backstory, and his growth. While there is Klance, it is pretty minor and does not take the attention of the fic. We tried to keep this as realistic as we could with behavior, etc.
> 
> We hope you enjoy! Please look at the end notes for some more information, and a link to some art not found in this chapter!

**PART ONE.**

_Don't you know where you go? I will follow_  
_In your footsteps I find my own feet_  
_Addicted like I am to the blues_  
_Kind of blue of all the blues I need_

 

A gloved hand slammed down flat on the table, making Lance’s metallic bowl cling as it shook from the impact. The space goo inside it bounced around in an unappealing manner before it settled. Lance looked up from where he was sat with his meal, catching the sight of none other than a very-pissed-off Keith. He was leaning forward and gazing hard at Lance with dark, angry eyes. Wanting to say something witty, but finding himself unable to summon the energy, Lance just looked back in surprise. They stared at one another for a moment. Food goo slipped off Lance’s spoon, and fell back into his bowl with a _splat!_

Before he could ask what the heck Keith thought he was doing, the red paladin spoke.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” he asked, voice low and firm, and the question sounded suspiciously like a command.

Lance blinked, then frowned. He looked around the dining room for Shiro or Hunk to defend him, only to find that they were alone. There was no escape, he realized. Lance had come in here when he was sure the room would be empty, after all. Well, more specifically, rid of Keith.

“What are you talking about?” Lance asked in a tired drawl, hoping his confusion sounded sincere. He avoided Keith’s gaze now as he scooped up some more food goo, and ate it. It fell flavorless on his tongue, and Lance resisted the urge to scowl at the green substance.

“You know what I’m talking about. You’ve been acting weird all week. Ever since our last mission.”

Lance didn’t meet Keith’s eyes. He knew he was right, and didn’t want the red paladin to detect his guilt.

_Lance hadn’t seen the sentry coming. He’d been so focused on keeping them away from Keith, shooting down one after another, that he hadn’t realized one had snuck up right behind him. A blast grazed past his head, and as he turned, something heavy hit his helmet and brought him down like a sack of bricks. He was stunned for a moment, working to clear his vision when he saw a red blur jump over him with an enraged shout. There was a zap of electricity, and a twist of metal before the sentry collapsed on the ground beside him._

_He looked at the fallen robot with wide eyes before he turned his gaze back to the red paladin above him. Keith held out a hand to him, a worried expression on his face._

_“You okay?” came the short question as Lance took the offered hand, and was helped back on his feet. In that moment, Lance couldn’t help the unwarranted thought that Keith looked both fierce and beautiful. It threw him off because Keith was dirty with grime and sweat, and really should not have looked as amazing as he did._

_“Lance?” Keith spoke again, voice gravelly and holding what sounded like a hint of fear. He was all up in Lance’s personal space now, looking him over. He grabbed his face, turning it this way and that to see if there were any cracks or other damage to his helmet. Then those intense eyes met his, and Lance’s legs felt distinctly like Altean space goo._

_Why were they so close together?_

_And why did Lance want to bring Keith closer, still?_

_Keith frowned, and his hand retreated as it lightly fluttered to the side of his helmet. His voice spoke up, strong and demanding._

Like a leader, _Lance thought._

_“Shiro, are we done here? Lance hit his head and he’s pretty out of it,”_

_Lance hardly registered what was happening when Shiro’s response rang through the comms, or when Keith led them out of the base. He_ did, _however, definitely feel Keith’s supportive arm as it wound around his side, and pressed against the softer material of his under armor. It seemed to burn straight through to Lance’s skin. His insides grew all fluttery, and... oh no._

_Oh quiznak, no._

_This wasn’t just some battle adrenaline. Nope. This was something vastly different. This was a “singing ballads outside Keith’s window at night” kinda feeling._

_Lance almost laughed in his panic, but he tried to keep a straight face as Keith lead him out the base. No- this couldn’t be happening. It_ wasn’t _happening._

_Keith was way out of his league- he always had been. There was no way Lance could like him, anyways.... No way that Keith would go for someone like Lance, for that matter. Not with their confusing rivalry and completely opposite personalities. It would be too messy- it'd throw the team off. It'd put Voltron at risk._

_Lance couldn't like Keith, because It couldn’t happen- he wouldn’t let it. Not Keith- not him and his impulsiveness, and constant broodiness, and his mullet._

_Keith, mister "good at everything"… mister “flying through asteroid fields”, infiltrating Galra bases, singlehandedly battling an entire group of blade-wielding rebels, the Garrison’s most amazing pilot, and Shiro’s second-hand man for everything._

_And Lance was just… well._

_He was_ Lance.

_Second best at everything- always falling behind. Always one, or two, or lifetimes away from catching up to Keith. To anybody on his team._

_So, no. This wasn’t happening. Because it couldn’t. Because Lance wouldn’t let it._

Lance shook his head and blinked away his thoughts. They retreated to the back of his mind, but lingered close by- leaving him on edge and bringing a bitter taste to his mouth. They’d put him in a healing pod once they’d gotten back to the ship, and he’d only been in there for a couple of minutes, since there hadn’t really been anything wrong with him in the first place. A mild concussion here, a few scrapes there, and the cryopod had him fixed in no time.

Then, for the next week that followed, Lance tried his best to stay out of Keith’s way. Just until he could clear his head of certain unwanted thoughts.

He needed to get over this infatuation. It would throw them off- it would put Voltron in danger. Besides, there was no way Keith could possibly feel the same. So why even bother trying?

Lance gave a grin, but even he could tell how flat it fell.

“Aaawww, buddy! I didn’t know you cared so much,” Lance tried for his usual joking tone, hoping it would be believable.

It wasn’t, of course.

Keith frowned more, if possible, and his eyes squinted at Lance so hard that he had half the mind to tell him he’d get wrinkles if he kept doing that.

“You didn’t answer the question.”

Lance raised a brow, and Keith looked like he was immensely resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

“Why are you avoiding me? And if you say ‘I’m not’ again, I will launch you out the airlock.”

“You have a funny way of showing concern, Keith.”

The red paladin sighed, and as he was about to speak again, Lance stood up and grabbed his mostly-untouched space goo. “First of all,” he began, “I’m _not_ avoiding you.” Lies. “Believe it or not, some of us have issues that don’t revolve around you.” Lies. “So, yeah, I’m fine. It’s got nothing to do with you.” Lies, again.

Lance went to dump his food goo in the kitchen, leaving Keith behind. He’d lost his appetite, anyways.

But he was dumb to think Keith would drop the subject so easily.

When he turned around to leave the kitchen, Keith was leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and that ever-present frown gracing his lips. Lance tried to walk past him, but Keith grabbed his wrist, and his touch was like fire. Lance resisted the urge to pull away, or to lean in closer- to give into any of the polar impulses that flared insistently in his brain’s synapses.

“Lance,” Keith spoke, and his voice was gentle, now. Lance couldn’t resist it- he met Keith’s eyes, and his heart was instantly pounding. He hoped the material of Keith’s gloves blocked out Lance’s pulse. From the way Keith’s hand adjusted, loosening just slightly before his thumb pressed into Lance’s wrist, he doubted it. Keith looked unsure when he spoke, again. “Look,” he huffed, and he averted his eyes in an antsy fashion before flicking them back to meet Lance’s. “I’m… I’m sorry, okay?”

Lance blinked dumbly. His throat felt incredibly dry. He had to force down a swallow before he could get himself to speak. “What for?” he asked, and he felt relieved when his voice more or less came out sounding normal.

“I don’t know,” Keith admitted. “For… whatever I did to piss you off. I guess.”

His hand was still holding Lance’s wrist. The blue paladin tried not to think too much about that as he formulated his response. But just _thinking_ was so damn difficult when Keith was so close, hand strong on Lance, his presence just _so--_

Lance opened his mouth to respond, and that’s when the alarms blared.

“Paladins!” Allura’s voice spoke over the intercom. “Suit up and meet in the control room!”

Lance pulled away from Keith, and the red paladin’s hand immediately dropped. They didn’t look at each other- didn’t say anything. They just ran off to get suited up.

Whatever business that was left unfinished, it could continue when their mission was over.

Lance hoped it was a long one.

* * *

“Get them out of here, I’ll cover you!” Lance bellowed as he pointed his gun at a group of Galra charging towards them. Hunk and Pidge led a family of aliens, a race called the Ipoths (who looked like small, strange centaurs), to safety. An explosion went off somewhere in the distance, shaking the dry ground beneath their feet. One of the older Ipoths collapsed, so Hunk scooped him up into his big strong arms before shouting an order to Pidge and the rest of the alien family, leading them out of the battle and towards shelter.

Lance shot with lethal precision, taking down both Galra soldiers and sentries. After the rescue of Slav, Lance learned that Pidge had been bragging to the others about his precise hit- the one that saved the mission. He felt himself swell with emotion when Hunk excitedly asked him for details, and preened under the attention- not missing the almost _impressed_ look Keith gave him from the corner of the lounge room: arms crossed, mouth a flat line, but eyes soft and pleased.

The team had taken his shooting more seriously ever since, and Lance was more determined than ever to not let them down. The Galra, however, also had much to prove, and would not be taken down by merely one shot, no matter how precise.

The blue paladin sent shot after shot at the group of snarling Galra that advanced towards them, while also working on moving in the same direction as his teammates. When the last soldier finally went down, Lance briskly observed the area before running after Hunk and Pidge, working to close the distance between them.

As he was running, another bomb went off in the distance, and a small cry of alarm caught his attention. He stopped in his tracks, looking around before finally catching sight of a little Ipoth hiding under a giant pink leaf. Making sure there were no Galra in the immediate vicinity, he ran over and picked the youngling up. The Ipoth let out a wail as he was lifted, but quieted down once he realized Lance wasn’t one of the Galra. These were very intelligent creatures, Lance remembered. Even the children were incredibly perceptive.

The blue paladin noticed blood on the little alien, and did a quick onceover. There were no wounds on him.

“Where are your parents, little guy?”

The Ipoth looked struck for a moment before averting his eyes. Lance’s heart fell. The little one didn’t have to say anything more.

“I’m sorry,” he let out with a heartfelt look at the little kid. The Ipoth looked up at him, his eyes watery. He threw his arms around Lance’s neck, hugging him fiercely. “I’ll make sure you’re safe. I promise,” Lance hugged the alien a little tighter against him before running to where Hunk and Pidge had brought the other families.

They had managed to find a spot where the citizens would be safe from the Galra- it was a large sturdy shack, miraculously still standing despite all the warfare. This was where Lance found his friends. Hunk was putting the old Ipoth down, and ushering him inside where Pidge had led the rest of the family. He turned to see Lance come running with the little alien in his arms.

“You’ll be safe here,” Lance told the Ipoth, and he started to lower him down.

“No! Don’t leave me!” the child was shaking in his arms, grasp going stiff, and wide eyes staring at him in a pleading manner. He refused to loosen his arms from around Lance’s neck.

“Don’t worry. I’ll come back to check on you once this is over,” Lance smiled and gently removed the arms from his neck. He set the Ipoth down and cupped his face, stroking his thumbs beneath the kids’ eyes to wipe his tears. “What’s your name?” he smiled.

“Naheel,” the little guy replied, voice choked.

“Well, Naheel, my name’s Lance. And I _promise_ I’ll come back once I get rid of these nasty Galra, alright?” his smile seemed to calm the little alien.

Naheel nodded and wrapped his hands around Lance’s wrists to give them a little squeeze.

Lance made sure the kid was safely inside before he joined Hunk and Pidge back out to gather more aliens.

The battlefield was chaos. Lance tried to keep his cool as he surveyed their surroundings, backing up Hunk and Pidge, and doing his best to keep them safe. They had found another group of Ipoths who had sought shelter beneath the overhang of a cliff, and it took a little convincing before they managed to get the aliens to leave their shelter and follow them. Lance took his position in the back, keeping his head on a swivel, his gun raised to his chest.

They made their way to the shelter with little to no encounters with the Galra. From the sound of Keith, Shiro, and Allura’s quickly clipped communication through the comms, they were taking the brunt of impact with the Galra's forces. Lance occasionally caught glimpses of Red and Black streaking through the sky and attacking ships, as well as the reflection of light on Allura’s pod. He itched to join them- to help battle the Galra ships and base, but he knew his job was just as important.

Lance sighed with relief when the shack peeked at him from a distance- standing safely beneath the cover of some trees.

That was when he saw it- a flash of purple from behind a boulder, coming up and running towards them.

Towards Hunk.

Lance shouted a warning before running to his friend, and shoving him out of the way, summoning his shield and taking the force of a laser. He shot at the Galra, and missed. The soldier knocked Lance’s gun out of his hands, and he could faintly detect the scuffle of action behind him- Pidge and Hunk’s shouts of alarm, and the sound of their weapons.

They were being ambushed.

Lance quickly slid out of the soldiers trajectory, catching another shot with his shield before the blast threw him harder than he intended. He met the ground harshly, head banging against the ground and making his vision swim. He grabbed his bayard, blinking back stars. Lance’s helmet had fallen off with the impact, but he didn’t have time to grab it- his friends were in trouble. He shot at the soldier’s back, then quickly got up, stumbling before aiming at a soldier that had grabbed Pidge by the arm, and was lifting her up in the air. He hit him as well, bringing him down, and quickly surveyed his group, counting seven soldiers. The Ipoths were crouched to the ground, huddled together and sheltering their heads as they wailed and cried out in alarm.

Lance shot another soldier, and made to move forward and charge at some more before there was a burst of pain at the base of his skull. He dropped his bayard, and he barely registered his body going limp, vision blurring as he fell.

The world faded to black.

* * *

_“Shiro! Shiro, they’ve- they got him- we need help! The Galra- the soldiers, going to their ship--”_

Hunk’s panicked blabbering filled Keith’s comms, and he could only pay attention to half of it- defending Red against a nasty Galra ship which was currently trying to blast him to smithereens.

He successfully shot the ship’s main engine, and it fell out of the sky in a mad, chaotic spiral before meeting the ground with a grand _boom!_

Ha. Got it.

 _“Slow down, Hunk,”_ came Shiro’s firm voice, on edge from the battle, _“I don’t know what you’re--”_

 _“THEY TOOK LANCE!”_ Pidge shouted, voice shrill.

Keith’s blood ran cold, and his hands froze on the controls. Pidge continued on, and he could barely latch onto what she was saying through the sound of blood rushing in his ears.

He could hear something like battling going on in the background- could hear Pidge and Hunk’s distressed noises of protest as they fought off Galra. _“They knocked him unconscious, and they’re dragging him to a ship! We’re stuck- we’ve got a group of Ipoths with us- they ambushed us. We can’t-_ fuck _\--”_

A quick survey, and Keith immediately saw it- two soldiers dragging a blue figure onto a ship. The doors closed behind them, and the ship started to rise.

 _“Keith!”_ Shiro began, but Keith was already flying towards it-- chasing the ship as it flew further and further away from the planet’s surface, out of the atmosphere, into the stars.

His blood was an angry torrent in his veins- like fire, like lava, like the molten iron core deep within the Earth’s crust, and everything was bathed in red.

Lance _._

He was right on the ship’s tail- only a little further.

_Lance._

A wormhole opened up in the sky, its edges dancing with a multicolor of electric energy.

No.

Please _no._

Keith had never flown so fast before. The world outside his lion had surpassed a blur- was nearly invisible, and the only thing he could see was the Galra ship. Then the wormhole as the craft was sucked in, and warped away.

Keith didn’t realize he was shouting until alarmed voices met his ears, and frantic questions assaulted him. He didn’t know what he was saying- didn’t even know if he was even speaking words. But the paladins knew what had happened- knew what the anguish in Keith’s voice meant, and shocked cries and choked sobs met his ears, now.

He was too late.

Lance was gone.

* * *

When Lance was fourteen, he got drunk for the first time at his aunt and uncle’s house, hanging out back in their pool on one pleasantly warm June night. It was just him, his siblings, and his cousins. The adults had gone out for the night, so Lance’s cousin Mari broke out her dad’s bottles of tequila, a daring smile on her lips.

They all got drunk under the night sky, listening to music as they took shots and danced. They stargazed, sang, played soccer, and goofed off in the pool. It was that night when Lance discovered he was an incredible lightweight.

Nine shots and a lot of doggy-paddling and bad singing later, and Lance declared he wanted a warm bath. So he stumbled out of the pool and back towards the house.

He never did make it inside.

In his defense, Lance’s aunt kept her glass doors _very_ clean.

The next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital to a killer hangover-induced headache, a concussion, a broken nose, and his mom’s disapproving look as she made sure he was okay before shouting her well-prepared lecture at him, making his headache worse, which he probably deserved. He'd gotten grounded for four months after that.

The headache he woke up to now rivaled that one. Everything around him was white with pain, and it took him a moment to realize he was in a solitary cell, his hands bound behind him by metallic cuffs.

Lance’s mouth was dry, tongue thick, and he smacked his chapped lips as he sat up with a pained groan, his head thumping in tune with his quickening pulse. His entire body screamed with protest as Lance leaned against the nearest wall, still sitting and not sure he could stand just yet.

He wasn’t wearing his armor- instead clad in a black full body suit, and purple shirt.

Before he could even process where exactly he was- just as his memories were trickling back and dread was sinking his stomach down to his toes, the doors to his cell slid open, and two Galra sentries walked in.

“Get up,” one ordered in its robotic voice. Lance glared.

“Make me.”

It apparently very well could. Lance shouted in protest as the two sentries grabbed his bound arms, pulling him unpleasantly from the floor and taking him, kicking and yelling, fighting them with all he had, through the Galra ship.

“I said _get your hands off me--”_

He was tased in his side and spasmed a moment, doubling over as he tried to catch his breath. His mouth tasted like iron, and his muscles convulsed.

But he wouldn’t make this easy for them.

Lance twisted and squirmed in their grasp, growing more panicked as his memories returned to him.

The Ipoths. Pidge and Hunk.

He had to get out of here. He had to get to his friends. They needed his help.

If only he had his bayard.

Lance managed to kick one of the sentry’s guns out of its hands, and quickly dodged down for it before he was tased again, longer this time, and fell limp.

He was dragged the rest of the way, murmuring weak protests.

Eventually, Lance was taken to a wide room. In the middle of it was a raised platform, where a metallic bed sat- silver containment straps attached to it.

Lance tried to protest again, fighting back, but another shock to his side, and he had to use all his energy to steady his vision as the room spun around him.

He was strapped to the hard, unforgiving examination table. His wrists, chest, and ankles were bound tight, and then the bed began to rise, bringing Lance into a standing position.

Then the two sentries retreated to stand on either side of the platform, at its base.

The doors to the room slid open.

A Galra walked in- or, at least, Lance thought he was a Galra. He looked like a strange combination of Altean and Galra- purple skin, long white hair, pointed ears. He wore a suit of armor, and a cape, and Lance couldn’t help but notice that the stranger looked like an overrated Loki.

That thought brought him little amusement, however, and his heart was grasped in a cold fist of fear at the delighted look in the Galra’s eyes.

He smiled as he walked through the room and towards the platform. Lance’s heart raced, and he could feel his breaths coming fast. He tried to steel himself- thought of Shiro’s composure, Hunk’s courage, Pidge’s determination, and Keith’s strength, and he honed it all in.

But Lance felt nothing short of terrified- vulnerable under an enemy he did not know, who was getting closer, walking onto the platform, now.

The Loki-wannabe looked particularly smug as he stood before Lance, looking him up and down, no doubt measuring him- calculating his weaknesses.

“Hello, blue paladin,” he greeted, and _of course_ he had a British accent to match the getup.

Lance swallowed hard, and his voice was raspy as he spoke.

“Who the fuck are you?”

The stranger’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance before he regained his composure, returning impossibly fast back to his steady smile.

“Yes, we haven’t been properly introduced, have we? I’m Prince Lotor, son of Zarkon.”

Lance hummed in contemplation before shaking his head. He tried to shrug to the best of his ability. “Nope. He never mentioned you. Were you by chance a 'happy accident'?”

Lotor let out a growl before flashing forward, hand grasping around Lance’s neck and slamming his head back against metal. Lance struggled for air, vision shaking.

“Listen well,” Lotor hissed, eyes menacing, slitting at him in a glare, “for I am no meager threat. I’m what your nightmares cower from. You’d be wise to fear me, too.”

Lotor pulled Lance forward by the neck before slamming him back once more, then releasing him- his nose upturned with disgust. Lance gasped for breath, coughing before he spoke, a smirk on his lips.

“The only thing… that scares me… is your greasy hair.”

Lotor merely wrinkled his nose, brushing imaginary dust from his shoulders as he straightened up, resuming his former composure. He didn’t look at Lance as he spoke- didn’t even spare him a glance.

“You will soon learn, young paladin, that I am not my father,” he murmured, smoothing a wrinkle in his cape before turning to meet Lance’s eyes with a cold stare. “I am far, far worse.”

At that, Lotor’s palm pressed against Lance’s forehead, fingers digging into his hair. Lance’s head was forced back, and he started to shout in protest before there was a bright glow of purple as ancient words spilled from Lotor’s lips.

Then an excruciating pain- like a nail being hammered into Lance’s skull, splitting it open and driving into his soul.

And in the end, Lance wasn’t as brave as his teammates. He could no longer pretend to be.

His screams filled the room.

* * *

Keith didn't remember much of the remainder of the battle. Just the anger- the blind hatred that fueled him as he took down Galra ship after Galra ship. Once they were all destroyed, he left his lion and fought them on the ground, tearing through what was left of the army.

Many retreated. Keith couldn’t get them all.

Eventually, he found what he’d been looking for.

The commander had been hiding behind the wreckage of one of his ships, radioing his higher-ups. When he caught sight of Keith, he destroyed his radio then launched into an attack.

Keith remembered how the commander’s arm broke beneath his grasp- remembered the cry of pain.

He didn't remember feeling bad about it.

Shiro’s voice came in, and it wasn’t over the comms- he was there. So were Allura, Hunk, and Pidge. They were shouting at him to stop, but Keith couldn’t.

He had the commander pinned against a slab of metal, his sword at his throat.

“Where did they take him?” he hissed.

The Galra stared back with a stubborn glare, and Keith kneed him hard, sending him down with a pained groan before grabbing him by the collar of his armor, lifting him up face-to-face. “I’m not going to ask again.”

He didn’t notice the small capsule clenched in the commander’s hand- wasn’t able to stop him from putting his palm to his mouth, and swallowing it down.

He died seconds later, and Keith shouted- in alarm or anger, he didn’t know. Shiro pulled him back and spoke sternly, but Keith couldn’t hear him.

Lance was gone.

Lance was _gone,_ and Keith’s only chance of finding him was dead on the floor, foaming at the mouth.

It was Keith’s fault- he’d _had him,_ but he hadn’t been quick enough.

_If only he’d been quick enough._

Shiro was holding Keith by the shoulders, gazing firmly at him. Keith could make out what he was saying, now.

“We need to finish helping the Ipoths so we can get back to the castle,” he ordered, and Keith wanted to protest- wanted to get back in Red and search the galaxy.

But he nodded, feeling jarred- _empty_ as he looked from Shiro to his teammates, Hunk and Pidge’s tear-stained cheeks, a blue bayard held tight in Pidge’s small hands. Allura’s distraught eyes, her stance hesitant- unsure. She eventually broke apart from them, talking to Coran over the comms to inform him of what had happened. 

Keith's hands were shaking, and the red faded from his vision.

He felt cold.

The Ipoths were safe in a shack Hunk and Pidge led the team to. They emerged cautiously, murmuring to one another before their voices grew louder- excited. They were cheering, unaware of the paladins’ mournful expressions.

Shiro and Allura took control- speaking with the small village’s leader, an Ipoth named Nilhe. He thanked team Voltron, promising his people’s allegiance in the fight against the Galra empire.

Then a voice broke through the crowd- small and frantic.

“The blue paladin!” it called, and it belonged to a young Ipoth, a tiny thing- only a child, “Where is he? Where is Lance?”

The paladins were caught off guard. None knew what to say.

“He…” Shiro spoke, winded. He looked to Allura, who met his eyes before looking at the small Ipoth, kneeling down to speak to him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“He’s fighting the Galra on their ship,” she spoke, voice heavy as she tried to smile, “and making sure they never return here, again.”

The Ipoth’s eyes were wide, glistening with tears. “He rescued me,” his voice wavered, and he hiccuped slightly before he continued, “he said he’d be back. I want to see him!”

“You will,” Allura assured, “I’m going to tell him you are here waiting for his return. What is your name?”

“Naheel.”

Allura smiled again. “Naheel- I _will_ bring Lance back to see you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Naheel seemed hesitant, but gave a slight nod. The chief stepped forward, taking the child gently by his shoulders and urging him towards an awaiting Ipoth. He turned to face Allura.

“The blue paladin has been taken?” he asked, voice low enough for only Allura and the paladins to hear. Allura gave a stiff nod, and Nilhe seemed to sag with grief. “Is there anything we can do?” he asked.

“The ship that took Lance- it was a different than the rest of the Galra fleet,” Shiro spoke up, walking forward, “it was--”

“Silver? Round and small?” Nilhe finished, eyes wide.

“Yes,” Keith answered, walking to Shiro’s side. “You know it?”

The chief nodded. “Those ships… they belong to those who serve under Prince Lotor….”

“Prince who?” Pidge spoke up.

“Prince Lotor. Zarkon’s heir.”

“Wait a second- Zarkon has a _son?”_ Hunk exclaimed, bewildered.

“Do you know how to find them?” Keith pressed, but Nilhe sighed.

“I’m afraid not… they are spread throughout many galaxies, and their locations often change… as for where Lotor himself is hiding… I do not know. I’m terribly sorry. That is the most help I can be.”

“Thank you,” Allura spoke genuinely, and she looked from her team to the chief, urgency in her eyes. “That is very helpful. We must be going--”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, team Voltron. We owe you our lives, and we will pray for the safe return of your blue paladin.”

So the paladins retreated to their lions, and Allura to her pod. She contacted Coran once more, and asked him to lower the castle towards them.

Keith looked away from the blue lion standing solitary on the ground, eyes blank as the black lion brought her back onto the ship. He looked to the sky once more, where Lance had disappeared, and found himself waiting for the familiar chirpy voice in his comms- for the bragging, excited jumble of words.

There was only a loud silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is my tumblr: www.spacegaykogane.tumblr.com
> 
> Here is karo's tumblr: www.karoviesart.tumblr.com 
> 
> HERE IS A LINK TO THE COMPILATION OF THIS FIC'S[ART](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11669583/chapters/26261598) !!! This link has art that hasn't been posted in this chapter!!! It will update with every chapter added on, so be sure to follow it!
> 
> NEW UPDATES WILL BE DAILY UNTIL THE RELEASE OF SEASON THREE ON AUGUST FOURTH! Each chapter will be released around 12AM EST!
> 
> Please let us know what you think of this fic, and leave some reviews? :~) It really is encouraging.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the reviews! Here's chapter two- we're quite proud of this one.  
> Enjoy! Please look at the end notes for a link to extra art for this fic!

**PART TWO.**

_Go where you want, when you want to_  
_Just don't let the wind tear you free_  
_Stick around the light that brings you home_  
_Don't ever hang around with the breeze_

 

The doors slid open, and Lance was tossed into his cell, his hands free of their cuffs this time. He landed ungracefully on the floor, the wind knocked out of him, and gasped for breath as he tried to writhe into a sitting position. His muscles vehemently protested the movement.

His head was screaming with pain. Lotor had dug into his mind, trying to uncover everything he knew about Voltron… about his team. Lance had used all his power to push all of that information to the side, barricading it with random thoughts- memories from school, of the beach, of his favorite movies. He’d been successful, and Lotor had eventually given up, drawn of energy as well. That was when he summoned the guards to take Lance.

“We are far from finished, blue paladin,” he’d hissed before Lance was dragged away.

Lance finally managed to sit up, curled into a corner of his cell, and let out a groan of pain. His whole body ached and fought against his every movement. Lance leaned his sweaty forehead against the wall to his left, trying to catch his breath.

“You alright in there?” a voice came to him.

Lance jumped, straightening up in shock. He looked around his cell, and saw nobody. He was completely alone- nothing but purple steel walls surrounding him. There was one pink light on the center of the ceiling, and it hummed with energy.

Had he imagined it?

“Okay, Lance, it’s too early to start going apples and bananas…” he murmured to himself.

“What? Did you say something?” the voice called out, again.

Lance yelped, this time, eyes wide as he looked around.

“Who’s there?” he asked, heart pounding. He tensed up, arms raised, ready to defend himself.

“Look to your left. Up towards the ceiling.”

Lance did, and he saw a vent.

Oh.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, you’re not hearing voices. Yet.”

Lance felt himself relax, his defenses going down.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“It’s classified. Sorta.”

Lance hummed. “Sounds serious.”

It was silent for a moment. Lance could detect hesitation. “I can tell you that I fight alongside the Galra rebels.”

“With the Blade of Marmora?” Lance asked, and the stranger let out a shocked noise.

“How do you know about that?”

Lance hesitated, too. He could trust this guy, right? If he was captured by the Galra, he couldn’t be all bad.

“I’m a paladin of Voltron. My name is Lance.”

“Lance… it’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, stranger.”

Silence, again. “So you met Lotor?”

Lance let out a short scoff in response. “Yeah. Nice guy.”

The prisoner snorted. Lance leaned his forehead back against the wall, shutting his eyes as he tried to rest.

“Are you badly injured?”

Lance didn’t bother opening his eyes, and just let out a hum. “I’m fine. Exhausted, really. Thirsty.”

“They should be bringing water and food, soon. It’s awful- but if you hold your breath, it tastes a little less like vomit.”

Lance laughed. “Good to know. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Lance’s sides were tender and burning from the shocks. He pressed his hands to them, wishing he could relieve the pain. He drew his legs to his chest, and curled in on himself, trying to ignore all his aches and bruises.

“Get some rest,” the voice assured, “I’ll wake you up if I hear someone coming.”

Lance could do nothing more than murmur a thanks before he closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

* * *

Keith downed the combat simulator, shoving his sword hard through its chest before yanking it out. It fell with a crash, and Keith wiped an arm across his forehead, pushing back his sweaty hair before he barked out, “Combat level ten!”

The simulator obeyed, sending down two opponents- both armed with swords. They raised their weapons, eyes glowing red, and Keith took his stance.

“End simulation!” a stern voice interrupted.

Keith let out a groan of annoyance. He didn't even bother to turn around.

“I could've handled that.”

Shiro walked into Keith’s field of vision now- his face that of pure concern. It made Keith feel guilty, but didn't stop him from deepening his frown.

“I know you could've. That doesn't mean you should.”

Keith glared. “What do you suggest, then? Should I sit around and do nothing?”

“Keith… you’re no use to Voltron if you wear yourself out--”

“It’s not like we can form Voltron, anyways!”

Shiro sighed, suddenly looking a thousand years older. Keith looked away, allowing his sword to retreat. He assumed Shiro could sense his apology, because he spoke up.

“Pidge and Hunk are doing the best they can. This Lotor… there's no trace of him.”

Keith met Shiro’s eyes, looking at his leader desperately. “Do you think… back when you were Zarkon's prisoner… was there any mention of him?”

Shiro’s brows pinched, and Keith knew his answer before he said it. “If there was… I can't remember.”

Keith’s gaze retreated, going back to the floor. His hand was tight on his bayard- knuckles white, and hand shaking. Shiro reached out, putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder- his Galra one, and suddenly Keith’s stomach sank to his feet.

Lance was captured. He’s a member of Voltron, and the enemy had him.

What would they do with him?

“We’ll find him.”

Keith didn’t meet Shiro’s eyes. “I know that.”

He didn’t sound sure of himself, but Shiro didn’t point it out.

“Come on,” Shiro spoke, removing his hand and starting to walk off. “Hunk and Pidge probably need our help.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “No they don’t.”

“I know. But how about you worry with the rest of us instead of here on your own?”

Keith offered a smile, but it was stiff. “In a minute… really,” he insisted when Shiro gave him a look, “I’ll come by. Just… I need another minute.”

Shiro finally nodded, giving Keith one last worried glance before walking off.

When he was sure Shiro was far enough away, Keith withdrew his sword, and took a deep breath.

“Combat level ten!”

* * *

Lance frowned in distaste at the sour-smelling food in his lap, and pushed it aside. He instead drank as much water as he could, and though it tasted metallic it was the most refreshing thing Lance ever had. His dry throat felt soothed, and after taking deep draws of it he let out a content, long-drawn sigh.

“It’s not _that_ good,” the voice in the other cell teased.

Lance found himself smiling, and he laughed. “Right now it's the most amazing thing i've ever drank.”

“Not gonna try the food?”

Lance frowned, scrunching his nose at his bowl. “I don’t think that belongs in anyone’s digestive tract.”

“Hmm. Well, you’re gonna have to eat something.”

“That stuff’ll probably kill me quicker than Lotor ever could.”

“Maybe.”

It was silent. Lance leaned back against the wall behind him.

“So. You never really answered my question, earlier.”

“About my name? I told you, I can’t--”

“No. Are you with the Blade of Marmora?”

“Oh. No. Well, sorta… we work with them. That’s the most I can say.”

Lance stayed silent- he really didn’t know what to say. Luckily, the stranger spoke up.

“Are you really a paladin of Voltron?”

“Yeah. For the blue lion.”

“Any chance your teammates will be able to find this place?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. What about yours?”

“Maybe. But I’m pretty sure they think I’m dead.”

Lance thought for a moment. “I’ll get us both out of here. We’ll take you to the castle ship and help you find your people.”

“Castle ship?”

“Yeah. It’s really cool- you’ll see.”

The stranger was quiet. Lance thought they were done talking for the time being, but then the voice met him, again.

“Well, I know one thing for sure.”

“What’s that?”

A heavy silence. Then he continued, “If Lotor has a paladin of Voltron, we’re screwed. He’s going to do everything in his power to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Lance’s heart did a terrified little flop in his chest, but he schooled his expression into a calm one, though nobody could see him.

“I’m tougher than you think. We’ll be fine.”

“Let’s hope so.”

* * *

Something must have been in the water Lance drank, because the last thing he remembered was his vision going hazy before he fell into a deep sleep.

He woke up in a strange small room, groggy-eyed and his mind a cloud of confusion. He hardly had a moment to collect himself before a chilling voice met his ears.

“Welcome back, paladin.”

Lance jerked his head up a bit too fast, and he tried to steady his dizzy gaze on Lotor, who was stood in front of him. He had a wicked smile on his face, and Lance was struck with the thought that he’d like to punch it clean off.

He attempted to do so, only to find that his hands were cuffed above him. He jerked his arms forward, and a metallic clang of chains sounded throughout the room. His feet were pulled to the floor by some sort of magnetic cuffs wrapped around his ankles. The cuffs kept him heavily bound to the floor, as if they were weighed down by tons of bricks.

Lance let out a sharp groan of frustration, and he twisted in his position, trying to get at Lotor. “Uncuff me,” he ordered, though he knew it was pointless.

“Interesting suggestion. I’d really rather not.”

“Why?” Lance tried to edge him on, “Scared?”

Lotor laughed, and Lance glared. “Rather short on time, really- but I’d like to take you up on your offer another time. Then I can truly see what Voltron’s paladins are made of.”

He circled him, his footsteps echoing in the small room, and Lance twisted to try to keep his eye on him. Lotor's voice sounded from behind him.

“No... I have something different planned for you, today.”

Someone that appeared to be a general stepped forward, seeming to materialize from the darkness around them. Lotor stopped at Lance’s right, meeting his guest with a smile. The general was clad in armor much like Lotor's, but thicker. Her eyes were a blank pale milky blue, and they held no emotion as they fell upon Lance. He noticed then that she had a syringe in her hand, and his heart raced. She walked closer and grabbed Lance’s chin, turning his head to the side.

He resisted, twisting and turning and letting out shouts of protest. He tried to throw off her grip on him, but was then met with a punch to the jaw. The general had moved so fast Lance hadn’t even noticed- the strike was a sharp crack of noise that came and went so quickly Lance wasn't even sure she had moved at all. He didn’t have time to cry out in pain, instead deciding to act as he jerked forward, trying to move his feet only to earn a kick to the abdomen.

Winded, he doubled over- or tried to- as he caught his breath, gasping in air.

“You’d be better off saving your energy,” Lotor spoke, and he put a hand on Lance’s shoulder, “the more you resist, the angrier you’ll make her.”

The general once again grabbed Lance’s face, twisting it hard to the side before sticking the needle into a pulsing vein at his neck. Lotor continued to drabble on from Lance’s side.

“It’s nothing terrible, really,” he assured, “just a little something that will make you more… _inclined_ to speak. You should consider yourself lucky. We found the proper dosage for humans through some trial and error involving your neighboring prisoner.”

Neighboring…?

Lance blinked, and tried not to let his shock show.

The guy he’d been talking to was human?

Before Lance could ponder more on his discovery, the world blurred around him and his head felt heavy. He could feel himself drooping, and he tried his hardest to focus.

Lotor’s hand grabbed his face, fingers digging into his cheeks, and he pulled Lance’s head up to face him. Lance scowled, trying to pull away but finding his movements sluggish and weak.

With no warning, a familiar prod nudged into his mind. If Lance hadn’t been trying to focus so hard, he wouldn’t have noticed it. It seemed like it was trying to be sneaky- moving slowly and steadily into his mind. However, the moment Lance detected it and jerked his body back, the dull prod grew into a sharp knife twisting into his skull, and he let out a cry of pain, trying to push it _back, back, back--_

Lance began pushing forward useless information- cluttered thoughts. He thought of the beach by his home- of how sometimes when the tide picked up and the winds were strong, waves over ten feet tall would crash onto the white sand. He recalled his sisters teaching him to surf- his first ever lesson, how he almost drowned because he was too eager to begin and didn’t listen to his siblings’ warnings. He remembered being dragged to the shore by his oldest sister, blacking in and out of consciousness, then coughing up water with a lifeguard tending to him, his sisters crying by his side as they knelt in the sand. He remembered going home to a loud lecture from his mom, and she’d never been so angry before- but by the end of it he somehow ended up being squeezed in her arms, and that was the first time he ever saw his mother cry.

The prod grew impatient, pressing further.

Lance drew up a recipe in his mind- his mom’s croquetas, and how she’d always make them on his birthday. He remembered all the parties they’d have in his family’s backyard. Stringed lights would be everywhere, music would be playing, and he’d have water balloon fights with his cousins, nieces, and nephews. His mom would make the biggest cake he’d ever seen- chocolate with some espresso powder and coconut extract, and the icing would be thick and sweet and it tasted like vanilla and bananas. She would let him try the batter before he put on some nicer clothes that she’d force him into wearing. There would be fifty people at least, year after year, and Lance always waited so impatiently for that amazing cake.

Lance didn’t know when he started crying, but his face was wet with tears as he gasped in shallow breaths, his screams silent and choked, now- he couldn’t let out anymore noise. It was like his voice was gone. But the pain didn’t leave him.

Lance thought about when he got accepted into the Garrison- how proud his mom had been. His oldest brother had given him his jacket. It smelled like cinnamon and bread- like the bakery he and his wife owned. There had been a huge party to celebrate, and it was the happiest Lance had ever been.

When he cracked open his eyes, everything around him was white with agonizing pain.

He thought about how excited he’d been when he’d gotten a dorm room with Hunk- how they’d both stayed up their first night there, celebrating with cheap booze and a movie marathon, trying to keep quiet so they wouldn’t get caught. He remembered how much he regretted it the next morning when, as a recruitment ritual, the freshman all had to run four miles. His legs had already felt like jelly after he’d finished, and he remembered how they felt absolutely _weak-_ nearly buckled from underneath him when he’d gotten to his first piloting class and met--

_No, don’t. Don’t think about it._

But the prod in his head was insistent and pushed forward, and Lance had no choice.

How he’d only recently realized his feelings for Keith, he had no idea. He remembered staring at the back of that mullet in class all day- how he’d gotten caught not paying attention by the professor, and had been punished by staying after class to wipe the board and sweep the floors and do paperwork.

He remembered the exhilaration he’d felt when he got partnered with Keith- the strange rivalry he’d tried to establish between them so Keith would remember him, so he would notice him, because that strange amazing boy never seemed to notice anyone.

Lance had wanted to burn himself into Keith’s mind. He wanted to _be_ someone to him- what exactly, he hadn’t been sure until recently.

But he hadn’t, in the end. No matter how much Lance had tried to get closer to Keith, he was pushed back and locked out. He remembered being mad and bitter, his imagined rivalry growing.

He remembered the disappointment when Keith was gone- kicked out of the Garrison and washing out of his fighter pilot class. Then the strangeness Lance had felt when he’d taken Keith’s place… the voice in his mind that consistently reminded him _he’d never be as good._

Then the rush he’d felt when he helped Keith rescue Shiro. The hope that had surged through him, because he _had another chance._

Except now he seemed so far away from the red paladin- further than ever before, though they were closer, now.

Lance’s heart began to hurt, too, pulsing in tune with the pain in his head, and he gasped silently. He was writhing in agony, and he was shouting, begging Lotor to stop- to _get out of his head._

But the intruder in his mind had grown interested, and it pursued towards thoughts of a “red paladin”, trying to see more beyond Lance’s pathetic crush.

“Stop,” Lance managed to breathe.

The knife twisted further- deeper towards far corners of his memories, and Lance shouted now.

_“GET OUT!”_

A metal barrier came slamming down in his mind, guarding all thoughts of Voltron, and the intruder was locked out.

The hands let go of Lance, yanking back as if they'd been burned, and he could feel bruises blossoming underneath his skin where fingers had grasped him. Lotor said something Lance couldn’t catch, and then the general stepped forward, wielding a staff.

A painful _whip!_ to his side, and a rib or two cracked beneath the blow. Lance tried to scream, but he couldn’t catch his breath, and choked. The staff jammed hard into his abdomen, then again at his side. Lance’s mouth filled with blood.

When he could finally see past the pain, he noticed Lotor looking down at him in a mildly pissed off manner.

“Rather unfortunate that the paladin we end up with is the most pathetic of the bunch,” he drawled, and Lance bared his teeth as he glared, jerking forward, wanting to punch Lotor more now than ever before. He stepped forward, placing a hand under Lance’s chin and lifting up his head to look at him.

“Not that this was all a loss, however,” he continued, and he smiled. It chilled Lance to the bones. “Because now I know your little secret. It’s only a matter of time before I manage to use it to my benefit.”

Lance spat blood onto Lotor’s face, and was satisfied by the noise of disgust the Galra made as he let go of Lance and drew back, wiping his face. His satisfaction was cut short when he received a punch on the cheek, but it still remained pleasantly with him, buzzing through his veins. It wasn’t no blast to Lotor’s ugly mug with his bayard, but it was good enough.

“Take him away,” Lotor spoke in the general direction behind Lance. Two guards stepped up, uncuffing Lance and dragging him out the room.

He didn’t bother resisting, and felt relieved when his vision started to fade.

He gave into an empty, dark sleep.

* * *

Hunk let out a long sigh of exasperation, placing his face in his palms and trying to push back the tears that had been burning behind his eyes for ages, begging to be let out.

They’d been at this for two days. Shuffling through Galra files and information, trying to find a mention of Lotor- of Zarkon’s heir.

There was nothing. As far as Hunk knew, the whole thing was a myth.

And every second they spent following a dead trail, Lance grew further and further away from them, going through _God knows what._

Hunk had slept maybe two hours since they got back from their mission. With what little sleep he managed, it was filled with images of Lance being tortured. He’d even dreamt that Lance had been given yellow robo-Galra eyes.

When he woke up, he was shaking with fear.

Pidge hadn’t slept at all, yet. At least, Hunk thought she hadn’t. She’d been running through all the codes they’d obtained through their missions, trying different methods of deciphering it and hoping to find something they could latch onto- some sort of trail to follow that wouldn’t end up cold.

Shiro and Keith had reached out to the Blade of Marmora to try and get them to scout out all of Zarkon’s hidden bases. They came up empty- no trace of anywhere that Prince Lotor could be. Apparently, the Blade had been searching for him for ages. He’d taken rebel Galra as prisoners on several occasions.

Hunk had learned that while Lotor did not serve under his father, he was still every bit just as bad. He wanted to expand the Galra empire, but in his own way. A merciless, cruel way that involved snuffing out the weakest races across multiple universes, and breeding his people with only the strongest- creating an empire of half-Galra species he could rule over.

The more they learned about Prince Lotor, however, the further away he seemed to get from them.

The Blade seemed to think Lotor was using some kind of space pocket to hide his bases in- just like the one Ulaz had led them to.

If that were true, finding Lance would be impossible.

The whole team refused to accept that, no matter how heavily the realization was settling over them.

A hand found its way to Hunk’s back, and he lifted his head to find Allura kneeling before him, a concerned look in her eyes.

“We’ll find him,” she assured, and Hunk felt his lip quiver.

“How?” he asked, and he could feel anger coursing through his veins- shaking his hands and making his muscles go tight. He wasn't angry at Allura, of course, but just at _everything._ He stood up- Pidge’s fingers had paused on her computer, and she looked up at Hunk hesitantly through her glasses. She was still seated on the floor at his right, surrounded by all sorts of her own machines mixed with Altean tech. A holographic tablet of Galra code laid at her feet, certain letters scratched out and rearranged in a confusing jumble of translation.

“It’s been two days,” Hunk spoke to the both of them, and his voice wavered. _“Two days,_ and we’re no closer to finding Lance! Who knows what the Galra could’ve done to him in that amount of time- how do we know if he’s even still--”

He cut himself off. The tension in the room had risen, and Allura and Pidge held grave looks.

“You mustn’t think like that,” Allura spoke as she stood. “It won’t do Lance any good if we panic.”

“We’re not doing him any good now! Not even with our best effort! We must have searched the entire galaxy- even the Blade of Marmora is looking, and we still don’t know where he is!”

“Hunk…” Pidge spoke, and her voice was tired. _She_ was tired. Allura was tired. They were all so _tired,_ and Hunk just wanted Lance back. He wanted to hear him laughing and cracking jokes- breaking the tension in a room and bringing a smile to everyone’s face.

Nobody had smiled in days.

Hunk was crying, now. This was so hard- it was all so hard, and he just wanted to get Lance and go back to Earth and never let anything like this happen to him and his friends ever again.

“I just want my best friend back,” he spoke.

Allura stepped forward, and she drew Hunk into a hug. “We _will_ find him, Hunk. You must keep your faith.”

Hunk sniffed and nodded in a defeated manner. However, his drive built itself back up again, and anger welled within him, drowning out his sadness.

He sat down by Pidge, and picked up a tablet, getting to work.

They’d find Lance. And when they did, they were going to give Lotor a fight he’d never forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is my tumblr: www.spacegaykogane.tumblr.com
> 
> Here is karo's tumblr: www.karoviesart.tumblr.com 
> 
> HERE IS A LINK TO THE COMPILATION OF THIS FIC'S[ART](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11669583/chapters/26261598) !!! This link has art that hasn't been posted in this chapter!!! It will update with every chapter added on, so be sure to follow it!
> 
> NEW UPDATES WILL BE DAILY UNTIL THE RELEASE OF SEASON THREE ON AUGUST FOURTH! Each chapter will be released around 12AM EST!
> 
> Please let us know what you think of this fic, and leave some reviews? :~) It really is encouraging.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! But we made this chapter is extra long and eventful to make up for it. If you notice any mistakes,,, dont point them out im so sleepy jfc.,,,,
> 
> Enjoy! !!!

**PART THREE.**

_Every breath is a prayer of some kind_  
_I breathe in, I breathe out, I just breathe_  
_And you're so well, blue wonderful_  
_Blue wonderful to me_

When Lance woke up, he moaned in pain, immediately shutting his eyes, again. Everything around him was bright- _too bright,_ and he needed to blow his chunks _now._

He squinted his eyes open, looking around him. His cell. He was back in his cell.

Summoning all his strength, Lance rolled onto his belly, careful with his broken ribs. He crawled to the toilet a few feet away, and proceeded to throw up into it. He grasped the bowl with shaking hands, his knuckles white as he tried to support himself.

“That doesn’t sound too good,” the voice spoke up when Lance had finished. It held a sympathetic tone, and Lance let out a laugh, wiping his sleeve across his mouth before letting his body collapse onto the floor when he was sure he wouldn’t get sick all over himself.

He tried to catch his breath. His throat was burning. He needed water, but there was none around him. Not that he should even drink it if he got some, after what happened before…. What time was it? How long had he been in here?

“You doing alright?” the voice asked. Lance nodded before realizing his fellow inmate couldn’t see him.

He spoke up, ignoring the grating sound of his voice and painful rub of his vocal chords.

“Well… I’m alive.”

The voice was silent- timid. It seemed as though the stranger wanted to say something.

“I was worried,” it admitted, and Lance furrowed his brows as he tried to understand. The voice explained, “We were talking, then I heard you fall and you weren’t responding.”

“Oh,” Lance spoke. “Yeah. Pretty sure my water was heavily drugged.”

“Shit,” the voice replied, “I’m sorry. If I had known….”

“Don’t sweat it,” Lance replied.

Silent, again. Then, “Did Lotor get what he wanted from you?”

Lance smirked. “Not a chance.”

“Good.”

Lance leaned against the wall behind him, and turned his face so that his bruised cheek rested against the cold surface. He hissed in pain softly, then pressed further into the relieving coolness.

After a while, Lance spoke again.

“How long have I been out?”

Hesitance. Then, “Almost two days, based on the meals distributed. Though it could be more… I’m not sure. Lotor had some time with me, too. I couldn’t say how long that lasted.”

Lance winced in sympathy. “How are you holding up?”

“Well, I’m alive,” he mimicked. Lance smiled, and they fell into a heavy silence.

It had to have at least been four days, now… four days, and no sign of his team.

The stranger in the other cell seemed to be thinking the same thing.

“I think this base is hidden even beyond your team's tracking abilities,” he spoke up, and Lance tilted his head in confusion. “We’d tried once before to find Lotor’s ships. They’re virtually untraceable.”

Lance sighed. “Great.”

“It doesn’t mean we don’t have a shot, though. Wouldn’t your lion be capable of sensing its paladin?”

Lance smiled sadly, and resisted the urge to shake his head. “I don’t think so… the only one on our team who managed to connect with their lion from a distance is Keith… he’s the red paladin. It shouldn’t be possible… we don’t really know how he did it.”

“Oh,” the stranger spoke, and he didn’t ask anything further.

Lance’s hand settled over his abdomen, lightly brushing along his bruises as he tried to assess the damage. He thought for a moment, then remembered something.

“You’re human?” he asked, and the prisoner let out a strange noise.

_“What?”_

“You’re human,” Lance repeated, firmer this time. He felt somewhat betrayed that he learned this information through Lotor rather than the prisoner himself, though there was really no way that he could have known Lance was human, either. It just wasn’t really a part of a casual conversation.

“How did you know that?”

Lance shifted in his spot, recalling his last meeting with Lotor. The pain came back in flashes, and he closed his eyes as he tried to block it out.

“Lotor,” he replied. “Told me to be glad he had another human to test his drugs on before using them on me.”

“Oh,” the stranger sighed, and his voice seemed heavy. “Yeah… I’m sorry you had to go through that. I wish I could say you’ll feel better, but… it’s like it never leaves your system….”

Lance wanted to look towards the vent- to try and imagine he was having a normal conversation with this person. But he preferred to keep his eyes shut.

“Where on Earth are you from?”

Hesitance. Then a timid, “I really can’t say….”

“Oh. Okay. Well, I used to live near a beach,” Lance revealed, trying to earn the stranger’s trust. “Have you ever been to the beach?”

He could detect a smile in the voice when it replied, “Yes. I’ve been to the beach. Vacationing with my family.”

Lance grinned. “I miss the ocean, man. I mean, there are tons of planets with them… but none of them are the same as back home, y’know?”

“Yeah. I get that. I miss Earth, too.”

Lance suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion, and his breath hitched in his chest before stopping quickly, inhibited by his cracked ribs.

“I wish my team was here,” he found himself saying. The stranger laughed bitterly.

“Damn, me too.”

Lance laughed, but it was mostly shallow gasps.

“Are you all from Earth?” the stranger asked.

Lance hesitated before he realized it wasn’t too revealing a question.

“Yeah. All human. Well- Keith is half Galra, but we kinda already all got past that reveal.”

The stranger hummed. “There are many good Galra out there to make up for the awful ones.”

Lance snorted. “Well, I wish we’d see more of these good Galra around the place. Specifically now- breaking us out of our cells.”

“Same,” the voice replied, and they laughed for a moment. Then he spoke up, again. “Do you miss them? Your teammates?”

Lance’s throat felt tight. “I’m worried about them, mostly… without me they can’t form Voltron… they’re vulnerable. I just hope they’re safe. God, Hunk’s probably a mess.”

“Hunk?”

Lance smiled. “He’s my best friend. The sweetest guy you’ll ever meet, and he’s a freaking genius. They’re all geniuses. Hunk’s an engineer- he could break down the composition of any Galra machinery in like, thirty seconds tops. Then there’s Pidge- she’s probably smarter than all of us combined. This tiny little gremlin creature filled with endless knowledge.”

The stranger laughed. “They sound great.”

“They are,” Lance replied, and he could feel himself swelling with pride. He had the best team in the world. “They’re all so talented and smart. It’s what reminds me that we were meant to be a team- they’ve all got so much to contribute, and they’re just… they’re perfect for this- it’s their calling. Saving the universe… piloting the lions. I couldn’t think of better people to do it.”

Lance trailed off, and it grew silent. The stranger spoke up.

“Could you… could you tell me more about them? It doesn’t have to be anything important,” the voice quickly explained, “I just… really need to be distracted.”

So Lance described his teammates as carefully as he could. He talked about Pidge’s skills with a computer, and Hunk’s warm hugs. He talked about Keith a lot more than he meant to; about what an amazing pilot he was, and how he was like some kind of samurai with his sword- as if he was born to wield it. Then he talked about Shiro and what an amazing leader he was, and that was when everything went wrong.

“Shiro?” the stranger asked, and the way Shiro’s name came from him sounded familiar- as if he had spoken it before. He sounded spooked.

“Yeah,” Lance replied, sitting up straight though his aching body protested. “Why? Do you know him?”

The voice didn’t reply, and Lance felt panic claw at his heart.

“Hello...? You still there?” he asked, but gained no answer. “Are you okay?”

Silence. Lance was suddenly horribly aware of how alone he was, and he felt like either screaming or crying.

He chose, instead, to lie down on the floor and let the tears fall out of his eyes on their own.

He didn’t know when he managed to fall asleep, but he was met with nightmares of fighting in a Galra ring- a sword in his hand, heavy and unforgiving as he tried and failed to use it. There was a creature made of shadows, and its teeth were sharp and pulled into a sinister grin. Bright yellow eyes were smiling in a diabolical way, and an echoing laughter shuddered through Lance, rattling his bones. And then the strangest of all- Lance surrounded by stars… floating in space in just his clothes. He was breathing and crying but alive, waiting for someone to save him- anyone at all.

Then the blue lion was soaring towards him, its eyes red as it opened its mouth and swallowed him into a cold darkness.

* * *

 

Lance was pulled out of his nightmare by unforgiving hands yanking at his sore arms. He let out a confused and terrified shout before he realized where he was and what was happening. His ribs protested wildly in his chest, making him choke up from the pain. The guards pulled at him relentlessly until he was out the door.

His shaky legs weren't up for much fighting, but he tried his best anyway. He twisted his body, trying to free himself from the strong arms that gripped him tight. He almost succeeded with one of the guards, but the other was faster. When long, sharp fingers wrapped around his neck from behind, tightening to an almost crushing force, Lance froze.

He had a brief thought- one that lasted for only a tick. He’d considered purposefully struggling more, just to make the guard finish him off. That way he would put a stop to Lotor’s plan, and the pain that he knew awaited him. Lance quickly stomped that thought down, because that would ultimately help Lotor’s cause in the long run. And it would weaken his own team. Not that he considered himself a big part of Voltron, but he didn’t know how long searching for a new blue paladin could take them. They didn’t have time for that.   
  
Lance reluctantly let the guards drag him down the corridor to the interrogation room. He made sure to take in every little detail of the path they led him through. If he wanted to have even the slimmest chance of escape, he would have to commit every detail of Lotor’s ship to memory.

He needed to help his team find him.  
  
Lotor was already waiting in the interrogation room once they arrived. He was smiling charmingly, but it was a cold false smile filled with icy hatred that seemed to freeze the entire room around him.

“Now now, careful with our precious cargo. We wouldn’t want anything happening to the blue paladin, would we?” the Prince commented in a smooth voice, eyeing the claws wrapped around Lance’s neck.

The grip loosened and Lance gasped as he tried desperately to fill his lungs with air. Lotor’s eyes narrowed the tiniest bit as he looked the guard in the eye. The guard stepped away from Lance, leaving the other to restrain him.

Lance was giving Lotor his own cold glare as the Prince turned his smile on him. He stepped up close, looking down at the blue paladin shackled back again to the ceiling and floor.

A finger suddenly slid along Lance’s jaw, stopping at his chin to pull his face up to meet Lotor’s cold yellow eyes. Lotor leaned in close, barely a hair’s breadth between him and Lance. Lance tried pulling back, but Lotor’s grip changed, fingers pressing into his cheeks to hold him close.   
  
“I wonder what lovely little memories we’ll be seeing today,” his smile widened. “Perhaps some more of your red paladin?” Lotor then pursed his lips, looking at him with mock sympathy. “Really is too bad he doesn’t seem to share the sentiment.”   
  
Lotor’s grip loosened, his fingers trailing down the bruise on Lance’s throat left there from the serum injection. He pressed hard into the bruise, making Lace feel like he was choking all over again.

“What a lonely soul. Even in a house full of people, you were always alone, weren’t you? Always trying to gain some attention from those you loved so much,” Lotor let a disgusted look take over his expression. “Pathetic,” he spat.

The fingers finally left his throat, making him cough and gasp for breath. He tried training his reaction into a stony one- tried to look strong. He needed to make it through this. He had info on Lotor. Not that it was much, but it was still something. Maybe it could be of help to his team- maybe _he_ could be of some help to his team.

He was the pilot of the blue lion. He needed to get back to them. "If" was not a word in his vocabulary right now. The least he could do was to get himself back to them. They needed all the information on Lotor they could get. No matter that it was just to let them know he was half Galra, and to provide a simple description of the layout of his ship.   
  
He needed to be strong.

Lance steeled himself, shutting his eyes tight and fighting back the familiar intrusion that drilled itself into his mind with all his might until--

“Lance?”

Lance’s eyes flew open- he almost didn’t believe his ears.

“Keith?”

A red sword cut through chains, and Lance fell to the floor before strong arms caught him. Hands went to his face- cradling his cheeks as indigo eyes met his, wide and worried, trailing over Lance in a quick once over to check for injuries. Lance gazed back frantically, placing his hands over Keith’s.

“How did you find me?” he asked, and he looked around the room. “Where’s--”

“Shiro’s taking care of Lotor,” Keith quickly explained, helping Lance onto his feet and cutting through the cuffs on his ankles. “The others are waiting for us. We’ve got to go- come on.”

“Wait!” Lance exclaimed, but Keith only took his hand and pulled him forward.

“We can’t waste time, Lance. The team is putting itself in danger coming here to get you.”

Lance shrank back at Keith’s words, but he found his voice. It trembled as he spoke.

“There’s a prisoner- I told him I’d get him out of here--”

“You couldn’t even get yourself out. There’s no way we’re going back to the cells. _Come on.”_

But Lance just shook his head, pulling his hand away from Keith and standing his ground.

“No. I can’t leave without him. I promised--”

Keith turned to face Lance, and his face was twisted in anger. He seemed to tower over Lance, and the room grew dark. It closed in on Lance, suffocating him. Keith bared his teeth in a growl before he shoved a finger at Lance’s chest.

“Do you realize how selfish you’re being? You get yourself captured, the team is seconds away from being captured, too, and Shiro is off risking his life fighting Lotor! All to get _you_ back! We’re leaving, _now.”_

Lance’s heart was pounding so fast. His hands were clenched into fists and raised in front of his chest, and he felt so incredibly small. His throat was tight with tears as he tried to speak.

“No.”

Keith’s eyes grew yellow. His hair went white.

“You useless, pathetic waste. Everything would've been easier if you’d just died in the explosion back on Arus.”

His snarl was menacing and he launched himself forward with a growl--

Lance woke up, gasping with a start to find himself in a soft bed with blue sheets. His hands were grasping painfully tight onto his comforter, and forced his fingers to unfurl, stretching out his sore joints.

He was in his old room. Home… on Earth.

He was home.

Lance looked at his hands- unscarred and smooth. He checked himself over- no bruises, no broken ribs….

Lance hopped out of bed, shaky on his feet. He looked around his room, and found that everything was exactly how he left it- posters on the walls of his favorite movies… his computer on his desk- a pile of books stacked messily next to it. There were some of his favorite stories from when he was a kid, and some on piloting and aircrafts, then a couple on the Garrison. Even his plants- a few succulents and a cactus- were still standing on his windowsill.

His heart picked up until it was a hard staccato pounding against his chest, and Lance tried to control the rapid pace of his breathing as he fumbled out of his room, and stormed down the stairs.

The living room and kitchen were both filled with his family- his uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins and siblings.

His parents.

They were all talking and laughing over the steady drawl of music in the background. Lance’s mom was in the kitchen, bringing food to the dining table and calling everyone over.

Lance’s eyes burned with tears. He exhaled shakily as he walked over to his mom, and reached out to grab her arm.

“Mom?” he asked.

She didn’t look at him, even as his fingers pulled at her shirt.

Lance looked around- nobody could see him. Their eyes glazed over him, or looked through him, but nobody was looking _at him._

He quickly looked back to his mom, and moved so he was standing directly in front of her, calling out for her again, but she didn’t react.

He had both his hands on her shoulders now, and he was crying- begging her to _see him._ To look at him- to talk to him. But his mother pulled away, smiling at something Lance’s sister had said, and sat at the table with the rest of the family.

They all talked and ate- their voices were loud. So loud, and it drowned out Lance’s as he screamed. His heartbeat was the only thing that overwhelmed their voices, pounding loud in his ears.

He whipped his head around to look at the pictures on the walls, searching for his favorite: a picture of Lance and his siblings all playing in the sand on the beach. The portraits of him were gone, the group photos marred. Some had his face cut out. In others he was scribbled over with black marker. Including his favorite family photo. There was a blob of blurry black ink where he was supposed to be.

“Incredible how easy life became after he vanished,”   
  
Lance’s head snapped back to look at his family again. He couldn’t have heard that right.   
  
“Who?” his mother asked with confusion in her eyes.

“You know, the useless one,” his brother shrugged and kept eating.

Lance was trembling- shaking where he stood, and hot tears stained his cheeks. He screwed his eyes shut, and covered his ears, doubling forward as a pain shot through his chest.

_This isn’t real, this isn’t real, this isn’t--_

Lance opened his eyes to see he was still standing in front of the dining table.

But this time, everyone was staring at him.

Their faces were expressionless, eyes dark and all fixated on him. Lance felt frozen to the spot- he wanted to scream, to cry, to beg someone to tell him what was going on.

There was a rumble beneath his feet- a sigh that trembled throughout the universe, and suddenly Lance’s home seemed to dematerialize from around him, leaving him and his family hovering over a black nothingness.

Then his family started to crumble- their skin cracked with millions of fine lines as they all turned to dust, and closed their eyes. The last person he saw disappear was his mother- her eyes angry as they faded from view.

Lance knelt onto the floor and cried.

* * *

 

When Lance was tossed back into his cell, it was safe to say he was an absolute mess. He didn’t even resist when the guards had taken him away- just hung limply in their grasp as Lotor faded from view, a triumphant smile on his face.

Lance curled into a corner of his cell, bent his knees up to his chest, and wrapped his arms around them as he leaned against the wall.

While it had been nearly impossible to open his eyes, before, now he didn’t want to close them. He was too terrified of what he’d see when they opened, again.

He didn’t know how long he sat like that, staring at nothing, when the voice finally spoke.

“Lance… are you okay?”

Lance opened his mouth to speak, but could only manage to gasp in some air. He was crying again, and he wiped hard at his tears.

“Yeah,” he replied, and his voice cracked.

It was silent for a moment, and Lance tried to keep quiet as he sniffed and worked to compose himself.

“What did he make you see?”

So Lance told him- he spoke about as much of it as he could- his family, his team… being ignored, being worthless, putting people’s lives in danger. The stranger listened patiently, urging Lance on when he’d hesitate or murmur something about it not being important. The voice validated him, told him he had to let it all out, and helped him recall every awful and incredibly vivid hallucination Lotor had put him in.

“None of it is real, Lance,” the voice assured him when he’d finished talking. “He’s just using your fears against you. You know that, right?”

Lance nodded shakily, and he wiped a hand under his runny nose. “Yeah. I know.”

“Your family loves you, and I’m sure they miss you… and so does your team. They all care about you- they all want to find you.”

Lance teared up. He wanted to speak, but he didn’t trust his voice.

So the stranger continued.

“Tell me something that makes you happy.”

Lance hesitated. He thought long and hard, but all that came to mind was his mother’s angry eyes crumbling into dust.

“I don’t know what to think of.”

“I usually think of my family… or of a giant cheese pizza from this pizzeria my uncle and aunt own… or my favorite video games I used to play back on Earth… it can be anything, really. Just something you know is real. Something that’s permanent. Something Lotor can’t touch.”

Lance blinked in his stupor. This was the most his fellow prisoner had revealed to Lance in the days they’d been here. Somehow, it made him feel a little better… made the stranger seem a little more real… a little more human.

“I used to make model airplanes with my dad,” Lance said in a soft voice, and he smiled as he thought of all the ones they’d created together- displayed throughout various places in the house. His favorites were in his bedroom on his bookshelf. “He told me I’d be the best pilot in the world, one day… that I’d explore worlds people have never seen... he always talked about how proud he was of me…” Lance laughed, and continued, “maybe that’s why I’m always so jealous of Keith….”

When Lance didn’t continue, the stranger spoke up.

“What do you mean?”

Lance shrugged, even though there was nobody to see him do so. “Keith was the ace pilot in our academy… the best anyone had ever seen. I tried really really hard to be just as good, but… well, I didn’t even come in second. Keith ended up a fighter pilot, and I was stuck with cargo… if he hadn’t washed out, I would never have gotten pushed up to the fighter class.”

“Well, you must be an amazing pilot if you’re a part of Voltron.”

Lance gave a shrug. “Just good enough. Not great,” he replied before changing the subject, feeling embarrassed that he’d revealed so much about himself. “I also like volleyball, especially on the beach. I love when it’s summertime… all nice and warm. Feeling the sun on your shoulders… I really miss the sun- our sun, y’know?”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

Lance was quiet for a while. He didn’t feel like talking about happy things anymore- because every happy memory seemed to make him even sadder.

“Are there any other prisoners?” he asked. “Besides us, I mean.”

“As far as I know of, no. Sometimes a few come and go. This is Lotor’s personal base, so it’s not really used for holding prisoners… unless they have information valuable to him. He has anyone his people capture evaluated, then reported to him. If they’re useful, they’re brought here.”

“I guess that makes us special,” Lance joked. The stranger snorted.

“Guess so.”

Lance was silent for a moment as he thought about this.

“How… how did you get captured? If it’s alright to ask.”

The voice was very quiet for a while. Lance thought he’d scared him off again, and was starting to panic when he finally got a response.

“I was caught while trying to save my fleet… we were on a mission to liberate potential allies when we were suddenly surrounded. I launched an attack from my pod and told the rest of my crew to retreat. Lotor’s soldiers caught some of us… just a few, including me. They were killed… and I was brought to Lotor because I led that mission. He wants to find out where our bases are, because we’re currently his biggest threat. Well, besides Voltron… he thinks he can get our coordinates out of me. He hasn’t managed to, yet.”

Lance was quiet. He was hesitant to speak- afraid that even the smallest question he proposed would make the stranger retreat back into silence. But he couldn’t help the question he asked, next.

“How long have you been here?”

Silence for a moment. “I’m not sure… I got here maybe a few days before you arrived.”

“Oh.”

Silence.

“How did you get taken?” the voice asked him in return.

Lance looked at the floor, shame flushing his cheeks.

“I got caught off guard… my teammates and I were ambushed, and I was trying to shoot at the soldiers that were after them. I guess a soldier snuck up behind me, and….”

“You’re very brave,” the voice replied, and Lance snorted. “No, really,” it insisted. “You care so much about your team… they’re really lucky to have you.”

Lance scowled at the ground. “Yeah, a whole lotta good I’m doing them right now.”

“You gotta give yourself more credit, Lance. What you did was really good. I’m sure your actions saved your team’s lives.”

“Well, what’s the point in saving them if they’ve gotta risk their necks to get me back? I’m just… this _sucks._ Even when I do something right, it ends up being something wrong,” Lance ranted angrily. Then he laughed bitterly. “Quiznak, if I ever get back to the team Keith is gonna have a field day with this whole thing.”

“You sure do talk about this Keith a lot,” the voice teased. “There must be something pretty special about him.”

Lance blushed, but found that he was smiling despite himself. “Yeah, I mean… we get on each other’s nerves and everything, but… he’s really great. Really smart, strong, talented… and a crazy awesome pilot. He flew through an asteroid field to get my lion back from these rogue alien bandits. He’s super hot headed most of the time, but he’s brave and confident, and… and… _I don’t know…_ it’s just unbelievable, sometimes. I’m not sure if it’s his Galra genes or whatever, but he’s like… just so good at everything? It drives me crazy.”

Lance could hear the smile in the stranger’s voice as he replied, “It sounds like you two are pretty close.”

Lance frowned, feeling his stomach sink to his toes. “Not really,” he admitted. The voice stayed silent, seeming to urge him on. “I mean, I… I like him a lot. But there’s just always this rift, and… I don’t know. I don’t think I can get past that.”

The voice hummed in contemplation. “Well, you never know until you try.”

Lance smiled softly. “I guess....”

It was silent for a while before the stranger broke it, going on to talk about some video games he liked back on Earth- probably to distract Lance. They had a few in common, and continued on talking to occupy themselves.

Lance was grateful for it, and he even managed to crack a few laughs as he listened- replying with his own story every now and then. The pain throughout his body seemed dulled, and Lance almost forgot where he was when food and water was suddenly slid into their cells, breaking the two from their conversation.

It was a harsh slap back into reality, and Lance felt worse than ever.

They ate quietly, and Lance carefully sipped at his water.

“Hey, buddy?” he began, setting his water down as he glanced towards the vent. “I think we’ve gotten to a first name basis, don’t you?”

The voice was quiet. Lance hoped he didn’t offend him.

“When we get out of here, I’ll tell you everything you want to know… just. I can’t now. It’s too risky. But I promise I will.”

Lance frowned, eyebrows furrowed.

“Alright,” he agreed.

They finished their food in silence.

* * *

 

The next thing Lance knew, he was strapped back to the examination bed, alone in a large room. Lance tugged at the restraints that held him down, letting out frantic grunts as he panted, panic clawing at his chest.

Why couldn’t he feel his legs?

Lance shouted out in alarm- tried to lift his head to see what was wrong with him, but there was a strap across his forehead that kept him down.

He heard a door swoosh open, and footsteps rushing in.

“Lance!” collective voices shouted.

Lance nearly sobbed with relief. His team was here. They came into view, now- all looking at him worriedly. Pidge and Hunk set to work on his cuffs, but were stopped short by Keith.

“Guys… look.”

The team all stopped their movements, and looked down at Lance’s legs.

“What?” he asked, voice trembling. “What is it?”

They all looked at each other, exchanging uncertain glances.

“This isn’t good…” Shiro spoke, and he looked back up to Lance in a disappointed manner.

“He can't pilot the blue lion like this,” Pidge murmured.

“Like what?” Lance started shouting, the panic returning and digging deeper into his chest. “What's going on?!”

But nobody looked at him. Lance wasn't sure they could even hear him, no matter how much he screamed.

Suddenly, he was sitting up. His team was gone, and the room was dark save for a spotlight shining directly on him.

His legs were gone- there was no trace of them. His entire body stopped below his waist, and it deteriorated further, the darkness climbing higher- devouring everything left of him.

“HELP!” Lance shouted. “Somebody! Please!”

A growl filled the room. A dull light pulsed, growing brighter, and Lance was so _cold._

Ice coated the walls, creeping up them and crackling threateningly. The metal groaned in protest through the ice as it grew thicker. Lance shivered, gasping in the cold air- his breaths puffing out in white clouds before evaporating. Lance’s chest shook with his quick, shallow breathing, and he blinked against the light that filled the room.

Blue appeared before him, eyes bright and head lowering to meet Lance. The ice crept closer.

“B-Blue,” Lance trembled, and he smiled, gasping out a laugh. “Hey, beautiful- hey… you found me.”

A hum of a purr, and Lance tried to move forward. His head and chest were free, but his hands were being pulled behind him- or above him? He couldn’t tell.

He couldn’t feel his legs- nothing but phantom tingles and a creeping cold.

Blue’s eyes went red. Lance’s brows furrowed. “What’s wrong, girl? What’s the matter?”

A growl met Lance’s ears. The ice crept closer, closing in on him.

“Blue! Stop! You’re gonna- y-you gotta--”

Lance’s jaw locked from the cold, his hands going numb. He curled in on himself- or he tried to. The ice grew thicker, moving faster- creeping up his chest and encasing his body.

The last thing he saw was Blue launching forward, jaws open wide.

* * *

 

When Lance woke up it was to the sight of Lotor- his palm pushing against Lance’s forehead, fingers digging into his scalp. Lance’s arms were bound above him, ankles cuffed once more. He was back. He was okay.

It wasn’t real. None of it was real.

“So much stuffed into that simple mind of yours,” Lotor spoke. He looked exhausted, but smiled as though he’d already won. “Shall we explore more of it?”

“Please,” Lance begged, tears hot as they streaked down his dirty face. He didn’t want to give in- didn’t want to give Lotor what he wanted, but he _couldn’t take this, anymore._ He trembled as he continued to beg. “ _Stop._  No more.”

Lotor removed his hand, and bent down so his face was leveled with Lance’s.

“It can all stop,” he told him. “Just tell me what you know about Voltron, and I will see to it that you are taken care of… you’ll never hurt, again… I can even send you back to Earth. Back to your family.”

Lance shook his head, screwing his eyes shut as hot tears stung at them. He opened them again, and let out a weak sob. His heart gave a painful thump in his chest. “I _can’t,”_ he gasped.

Lotor stood back up, and signaled the general over.

“I don’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice.”

Lance could hear the staff whipping through the air before it struck him hard. He didn’t know how long it lasted- lost count of how many times he’d been hit. But by the time Lotor had seen enough, Lance was a shaking mess, hanging limp in his chains.

“Take him away,” he called to nearby guards. “Bring in the other.”

Lance lifted his head, eyes going wide.

The other prisoner.

As the guards worked to unchain him, Lance called out to Lotor’s retreating form.

“Do you have everyone fight your battles for you?” he taunted, not bothering to conceal the hatred in his voice, which was still thick with tears. “Don’t like to get your hands dirty? Or are you too afraid to try?”

Lotor’s back stiffened. He turned around, and gave Lance an easy smile.

“For your sake, I’d recommend you go back to your cell quietly.”

But Lance struggled in the hold of the guards, pushing towards Lotor.

“What? Little Galra prince never learn to fight?”

Lotor’s eyes narrowed, his mouth an expressionless line. “You wouldn’t stand a chance against me, paladin.”

Lance managed a smirk, challenging Lotor with his gaze. “Prove it.”

There was a long drawn out silence. Lotor stared at Lance, summing him up. Then he looked to the guards, and gave a simple nod.

They dropped him to the floor, and Lance struggled to sit up, his body screaming with pain. It felt like all his bones were broken. Lance was hardly able to breathe without choking up with pain, and he realized what an awful situation he’d just gotten himself in.

This was a crazy idea.

A staff was tossed to him, and Lance grabbed it, pushing himself onto his feet. He met Lotor’s eyes- the Galra had his staff ready, and it buzzed with energy. Lance’s own crackled beneath his fingers- tingling against his palm.

Lance held the weapon awkwardly- not sure what to do with it.

Then a vision of Keith met him- his stance with his sword. Lance could easily see him- Keith practicing in the training deck, transitioning so fluidly from one move to the next. He recalled Keith’s stance, and mimicked it. A wave of comfort seemed to wash over him.

He’d watched Keith so many times: both in their team training sessions, and when Keith went at a simulator solo.

A memory came over Lance against his will, and it was like he was there- peeking at Keith from the door to the training deck. The other hadn’t realized he was there, just continued to train- his grunts of exertion and the clang of his sword against metal the only noises that filled the room.

Lance remembered trying to awkwardly mimic Keith without being seen. He’d almost gotten caught when he placed his foot wrong on the floor, and lost his balance. In a flash he’s righted himself and sprinted out of sight, pressing himself against a wall in the corridor- his heart racing in his chest.

He’d heard Keith stop his training to call out for whoever was there. Lance had waited, hoping Keith would give it up. But the red paladin’s cautious instinct had taken over, and Lance realized he’d been coming towards him.

He’d only had a split second to come up with a reason for being there. Lance squared his shoulders and pretended he’d been on his way to the training room, almost crashing into Keith as he’d come out the door. He’d given a half assed excuse about Coran needing Keith for something, and had hightailed it out of there, face a burning red.

Since then he’d secretly watched, committing every move to memory.

It turned out having a pathetic crush on his teammate provided a good payout, because now Lance puffed out his chest in confidence, and honed in what he’d learned. His stance was a little uncertain to begin with, but as he readied his weapon, he became more sure of himself.

He wasn’t given much time before Lotor got bored of waiting. Hit after unforgiving hit rained down on him, deathly with Lotor’s speed and precision. There was overwhelming strength in each and every strike, and Lance was already at a disadvantage- his muscles weak and nearly crumbling with every blow.

Still, Lance somehow managed to hold his own.

It was not easy to defend himself against Lotor’s assault. He kept blocking as he watched Lotor’s rhythm, studying it. It wasn’t like Keith’s- it wasn’t instinct. This seemed to be a pattern- something Lotor had strictly learned, rather than taught himself. Lance tried finding even just one opening.

The blue paladin saw Lotor falter. It was the barest little waver, but it was enough. He gathered all his strength, betting it all on this one little opening, and forced his aching muscles to act as they clenched tight with adrenaline.

Lance hurled himself bodily at Lotor, driving his staff hard upward into the Galra Prince’s jaw. Overwhelming satisfaction spread through his entire body at the sight of the metal connecting with the purple skin, a loud clap and sizzling of electricity as Lotor was forced off balance.

That was gonna leave a mark.

Lotor let out an un-princely yelp of surprise and pain as he fell to the floor with a crash. Lance also fell to the floor, thrown off balance from the force of his hit. He registered something else landing onto the floor next to his head. Lance had smacked hard against the metallic ground beside the prince, who seemed to be in shock. The pain from Lance’s ribs flared up, choking him.

Surprised silence overtook the room. It gave Lance time to gather himself. On the floor beside him lay a sharp looking piece of metal- twisted and deformed, as if it had snapped off of something. It glimmered enticingly, and Lance was struck with an idea.

He made sure his movements were slow, trying to seem as though he was trying to get up. He grabbed the sharp object, hiding it in his hand as he tried getting up for real. It cut into his palm as he gripped onto it.

Good. It was sharp.

Lance had just gotten to his feet when he heard an enraged shout, and saw a blur of purple.

Lotor had apparently decided he was going to end this fight for good as he’d pulled his sword, slashing at Lance with it. The blue paladin barely avoided getting himself decapitated, but couldn't escape the small cuts to his face. When Lotor launched again, he tore at Lance’s arm with the blade, and Lance screamed as he fell to his knees, the deep wound in his bicep bleeding.

“Get this garbage out of my sight,” Lotor hissed as he stared wildly at Lance, strands of white hair a mess over his face.  

Even through his pain, Lance silently celebrated. He hadn’t dropped the piece of metal in his hand when Lotor had jumped him. It was cutting a little deeper into his palm, but it was still there.

Two guards ripped Lance from the floor, and proceeded to shove him towards the door. When his knees buckled beneath him and he collapsed, they grabbed his arms and roughly pulled him up. He was then dragged him between them back down the long corridor.

Lance let himself go limp in the arms of the guards. He gathered his strength, waiting for the right moment.

It was time to do this.

The soft whoosh of a door was his signal.

Lance planted his feet firmly on the floor, using his entire weight to twist and push up against one of the guards, managing to slip his hands free, and driving the sharp piece of metal into the jugular of one of the guards, letting it sink deep into his flesh. The guard was too surprised to do much more than flail and let out a gurgling choke. The blue paladin twisted his weapon and pulled it out, letting the Galra tumble to the ground as he turned to put the other out of commission as well.

A bright light blinded him, and then a burning pain erupted loud and jarring from his abdomen, almost sending him to the ground with the intensity. Lance faltered, but pushed himself forward with a shout.

He registered the gun in the guard’s hand before he fell on the alien, slashing against him with the metal.

He managed to drive it into the guard’s arm, and wrenched the gun away from him. He shot the guard and made sure they were both down before he took a moment to breathe, collapsing against the nearest wall.

Adrenaline was coursing through his body, helping him numb the pain and giving him strength. He eased himself back onto his feet, and looked through the door the guards had opened, realizing it was his cell.

He looked to the door further down, and made his way there. The hallway was spinning around him, and he could feel a dull pulsing in his gut. Blood leaked down his leg. Lance took a couple tries shooting the panel to the cell before he got it.

The doors slid open.

“Ding dong,” he spoke, giving a shaky smile as he leaned heavily against the doorway. The gun slipped in his bloody hands.

His vision was blurring and he could feel himself shaking all over. He collapsed, but was suddenly being held in someone’s arms. Hazel eyes looked at him in a worried manner- wide and familiar… long strawberry blonde hair framed a rounded face. Lance’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, and he tried to steady his blurry vision.

“Pidge?” he asked, trying to understand. “When did you get taller?”

He promptly passed out.

* * *

 

The figure in the doorway was definitely not Garla. Judging by his voice, this was the guy he’d been talking to through the vents.

He was swaying dangerously, and Matt surged forward to offer support- catching the boy in his arms. A gun clattered to the floor, and Matt fixed his gaze on Lance’s. He tried to catch what he was saying, and--

Wait, did he just call him Pidge?

He must be delirious. Considering his bloody state, that might not be far from the truth.

Matt wrapped an arm around Lance’s waist and pulled his free arm around his neck.

The boy was fading in and out of consciousness, murmuring nonsense.

"Hold on, buddy," Matt murmured before walking them out of the cell.

He looked around them, making sure they weren't being immediately followed, and made for the end of the corridor.

He doubted they would be lucky enough to get to an escape pod before they were seen. But if he could get to a control panel or some communication device, he was sure he could alert someone to their position. And should they not make it out of here alive, then at least they would be successful in notifying someone of these coordinates, and hopefully manage to compromise Lotor’s main base.

Someone out there must have taken a liking to them, because it didn’t take long before they stumbled upon a control room. Lance was barely conscious. Matt shook him gently.

“Lance, do you think you’ll be able to keep watch?”

Lance blinked in a confused manner before nodding, pressing his hand flat onto the nearest wall by the door. His bloodied palm painted it red.

“Yessir, no problemo,” he replied.

Matt carefully let go of Lance, letting him lean against the wall nearest to the door. He took a moment to assess the boy’s wounds, and winced in sympathy at the gash in his arm. Concern washed over him when he realized that Lance had been shot in the abdomen, and was steadily bleeding. This stranger had risked his life to give them a chance at escape.

Now he had to make sure it didn’t go to waste.

Hacking the control panel was easy. He’d done it so many times before in previous missions, that it had become as instinctive as breathing. Having a high-tech prosthetic leg filled to the brim with codes certainly helped.

Though his fingers flew familiarly over the keys before him, Matt felt like it took forever for him to send out the distress signal. He kept looking back at Lance, who was miraculously still standing.

Tough kid.

Matt searched through the systems, trying to find some way to contact anyone allied to them. As he watched his codes work their way through the system, he suddenly got alerted to someone locking onto the signal.

Suddenly a big video feed filled the screen, and suspicious golden brown eyes were glaring at him.

His movements completely froze as he stared at the familiar face in front of him.

“Who is this and why a-”

Her voice broke off in a choked gasp.

Matt’s mouth moved as he tried to form words. His sister. How…? _What?_

Was this another one of Lotor’s mind tricks?

Katie was staring back at him through the screen. How… why was she on a video feed in outer space?!

 _“Katie?”_ he finally choked out.

Her eyes were filled with tears, and she didn’t seem to know what to say. A million questions soared through Matt’s mind, and he had no doubt his sister had just as many.

“Pidge, what--”

There were other voices in the room, and soon Shiro’s face appeared beside Katie.

Pidge? Was this...?

_Oh._

Shiro. Voltron. And Pidge… that explained why Lance had gotten them confused in his delirious state. He had never thought of it before, but seeing her with her short wild hairstyle made him realize how much alike they must look.

_“MATT?!”_

Matt was brought out of his thoughts at the shocked shout from Shiro.

There was another face on the screen now, too- someone pale with long dark hair. He looked… angry? But also curious? His eyes seemed to dodge past Matt, looking further- flicking around.  

Katie was just staring wide eyed. She still hadn’t spoken. Matt forced himself to tear his eyes away from her, looking to Shiro.

“Shiro! I don’t have much time. Lock onto these coordinates. Contact the Blade. Tell them this is Lotor’s main base. Lance broke us out, but we can’t escape on our own,” he explained fast, trying to get everything out as quickly as possible.

Just as he said the last word, he heard approaching footsteps and shouts echoing in the distance.

“Lance? He’s there?!” the angry-looking guy let out, looking behind Matt to see if he was serious. “Show him to us!”

“Keith?” Lance called from the room, turning to look at the screen.

“Lance!” the boy shouted back, his voice filled with both relief and worry.

Matt glanced back at Lance- he looked panicked, his eyes hazy. His hand was gripping onto the wound in his stomach, and he met Matt’s eyes.

They were running out of time. Matt turned to look back at the screen, his hands clenched so tight onto the keyboard that they grew white.

“We don’t have time- they’re coming! Hurry!” Matt felt a stab to his heart as he saw tears run down his sister’s face.

Shouts came from behind him, and he turned in time to see Lance block the hit of a staff.

Matt threw himself into the fight, grabbing at one of the guards staffs as it swung towards Lance, putting himself forward to defend the boy.

They were outnumbered.

His grasp was easily knocked away wish a harsh push, and Matt caught the sight of Lance being tased before falling to the ground with a shout of pain. He heard the team screaming from the video feed before it was abruptly cut off.

There was a hot torrent of electricity that seemed to course through his spine, and the last thing Matt saw was a guard towering above him, a smug look on his face.

He blacked out.

* * *

 

The team was suited and ready in seconds. While Pidge had been preoccupied with her brother, Hunk and Coran had managed to pinpoint the location of the distress beacon. Shiro then calmed his frantic team, quickly coming up with a plan.

Coran and Allura would take the castle to Lotor, and launch an attack. They’d contacted the Blade, and sent them the location- asking for backup. Using the Blade's fleets, and the castle’s weapons, they would try to distract Lotor while the team and Allura snuck on board using the green lion and its cloaking device.

From there on, they’d split into groups. Keith and Shiro would explore the West sanction, while Pidge, Allura, and Hunk covered the East.

“We can take on Lotor and his army another time,” Shiro reminded his team, giving them all a stern look. “Our priority is getting Lance and Matt out, and nothing more. We can’t afford to stick around. Once we’ve got them, we fall back.”

The team nodded in consensus, and Shiro looked to Pidge, who seemed to have a newfound fury in her eyes. She gave him a steady look, and he returned it with a slight nod.

“Stick together,” he told everyone. “And stay safe. We’re not going to lose anymore people. Not again.”

The castle brought up its particle barrier, readying its weapons.

“We’re approaching! Only a few dobashes away!” Coran shouted.

“Everyone to the green lion!” Shiro ordered.

There was no hesitation- everyone broke into action, following Shiro’s orders. As exhausted as they were- sleep deprived and emotionally strung up- the team did not falter. It was the most coordinated Shiro had ever seen them.

They’d get Lance back, and Matt, too.

Nobody could stop them.

* * *

 

When the green lion locked itself onto the ship, its invisibility cloak shimmering but holding up, the team launched into their plan. Keith had to hold himself back, following Shiro’s orders though he wanted to storm the base headfirst, searching anywhere he could touch and taking down anyone in his way.

But they were outnumbered- at least inside the ship. Outside the Blade of Marmora were busy launching an attack on the base, and they had the advantage. Keith could hear, and feel, their powerful shots as they unleashed everything they had onto the ship.

He hoped they wouldn’t take it down before they’d managed to find Lance.

Keith and Shiro pressed against a wall- Shiro carefully peeking past a corner as soldiers ran out of sight. He waited a tick, and then moved forward, and Keith followed- silent and quick like a shadow.

His hand was gripped tight onto his bayard, itching to draw out his sword and fight someone. But Keith tried to grasp onto some form of control- thinking of Lance’s patience and careful planning when on missions, and honing it in.

He couldn’t find Lance if he got Shiro and himself caught.

They explored room after room, using Shiro’s Galra arm or Keith’s own hand on scanners so as not to draw attention to themselves by using their weapons to destroy them. They easily took down some startled Galra soldiers they happened across, but they had yet to find Lance.

Keith was growing frustrated- he tried to keep his patience, but he wanted to scream in anger. The further they went through their sanction, the more Keith felt like he was putting distance between himself and the blue paladin.

_Where was Lance?!_

They stumbled upon the last room in the West wing. It was fairly large, and a throne sat at the end of it, raised on a slight platform.

It was empty.

"It's always nice to have visitors," a voice met them, and Keith and Shiro whirled to face the Galra it was coming from. He was standing off to the side of the room, by the door they had just walked through. He seemed to emerge from the shadows, and smiled as he continued, "Though I don't recall sending invitations."

Shiro instinctively stepped in front of Keith, who had already readied his sword. Shiro's hand shone a bright purple, and they both got into a fighting stance.

Prince Lotor simply looked at the two of them with disinterest. He paced around them, a good ten feet away, and they followed his every movement, preparing for an attack.

"It's very rude to barge into someone's home, you know," Lotor taunted. "Then again, I don't think manners settle well with team Voltron..." Lotor climbed up the steps to his throne, and sat down. He leaned back, and Keith prickled with annoyance. He could see Shiro tense, as well. "So. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You know why we're here!" Keith shouted, moving forward and baring his teeth at the prince. He felt fire run through his veins, and he wanted to knock Lotor right off his stupid throne.

The prince only looked amused, and he raised a brow at Keith's outburst. "The red paladin... you know, we haven't formally met, but I feel as though I already know you... your companion had a lot of...  _interesting_ thoughts about you."

Keith's hand clenched tighter to his bayard, and Shiro spoke, now.

"Where are you keeping him?"

But Prince Lotor didn't look at Shiro- didn't even spare him a glance. He kept his eyes glued to Keith's, and a grin suddenly lifted the emotionless line of his mouth. His canines were sharp, and they flashed threateningly at Keith.

"You should have heard how he screamed... he cried so much- begged me to stop digging through his mind... it's curious, really. The beatings he could go through, but just a simple travel through his thoughts and he became such a miserable mess."

"Enough games!" Shiro shouted, and Keith was seeing red. "Tell us where you're keeping him!"

Lotor finally looked at Shiro now, and he seemed incredibly bored. "You know, he regards you all so highly... he was afraid of letting his precious team down. So noble... a shame his fears are doomed to be true."

Lotor flicked his hand in the slightest gesture, and the air around them gave a heavy shift.

Guards seemed to appear from thin air, and they surrounded Keith and Shiro.

Lotor was smiling as the paladins edged close to one another- their weapons raised as they pressed against each other, back to back. They were being closed in by more Galra than Keith could process. Keith readied himself for battle- the image of Lance in his mind fueling his boiling rage.

He'd find Lance if it was the last thing he did.

"Seize them!" 

* * *

 

Pidge's bayard wrapped around a guard, and she flung him to the side, knocking him unconscious before continuing on forward, Hunk and Allura following hot on her trail- helping to take down the guards they happened across.

They seemed to be going the right way, because the number of strange Galra hybrids they happened upon increased continuously until they fell upon a room with four guards posted outside of it. 

As they took them down, more came- following the sound of commotion and aiding their fellow Galra as they shot at or swung electric staffs at Pidge, Allura, and Hunk. Pidge managed to block most of the blows, but a laser grazed her arm, giving her a nasty burning gash. She could smell her amor and skin burning from the heat, and was too hopped up on adrenaline to even care.

They eventually took down all the guards- ending up bruised and battered, but alive. Allura twirled her staff in a quick snap through the air before connecting it hard against the keypad, smashing it. The doors buzzed before sliding open, revealing a dark room with two figures.

One was up on its knees, ready to launch at them. He seemed to be defending another figure, who hung limp and leaning against the wall further to the back.

Matt.

It was really him- he was  _here._

He was alive.

Pidge had found him.

"Matt!" Pidge shouted, running inside- followed by Hunk and Allura, who ran over to check on Lance.

Matt relaxed when he saw who it was, but he still seemed hesitant. His wide eyes speculated Pidge, looking her up and down. Though he was the one to talk, before, he seemed scared to, now- as if Pidge would disappear and replace herself with some sort of monster... as if this was nothing but a nightmare- a cruel trick.

As far as Pidge knew, that could be exactly what Matt was afraid of. She had no clue what kind of magic Lotor was capable of, but from what had been done to Shiro by Haggar, she didn't doubt he had the means to mess with people's minds.

Pidge's hands trembled as she removed her helmet, setting it to the side and proceeding to cut off Matt's cuffs. She then grasped his hand, tears forming in her eyes, overflowing as they fell down her cheeks. She gazed at her brother for a long time, and he looked back at her. 

Then he grabbed her, drawing her into a hug, squeezing her tight, and burying his face in her hair. Pidge let out a loud sob as she grasped back onto him, clenching onto his dirty shirt with her fists and letting herself cry freely into his neck, her tears staining his prison jumpsuit. She ignored the pain that flared in her arm, and clawed desperately at her brother, bringing him closer as she cried. They held onto each other for a long time before Matt spoke.

"It's really you," he murmured, and his voice trembled- he was crying, too. "I'm... I can't believe it," he gasped, refusing to pull away, and Pidge held him tight, not ready to let go quite yet. "How did you- I--" Matt stumbled with his words, and Pidge laughed.

"I'll tell you- I'll explain it all later," she hiccuped as she forced herself to pull away and look him in the eyes. "I'll tell you everything. But we have to get out of here."

Matt searched Pidge's eyes frantically before nodding. He turned to look at Lance. Allura was kneeled before him, Hunk off to the side- his eyes filled with tears. Allura's hand was on Lance's shoulder and her eyes filled with tears as she seemed to murmur something to him.

He looked terrible. His face was littered with bruises, and bloodstained. Pidge could detect tear tracks on his cheeks, and her eyes trailed down to the wound in his gut, and the copious amounts blood that stained the left arm of his shirt.

Pidge made her way over to her friend, putting a comforting hand on his arm before cutting off his cuffs and looking to Allura. The princess looked back at her, and nodded.

Pidge's fingers flew to her helmet, and she activated her comms.

"Shiro- we've got Matt and Lance! They're okay!" 

Nobody answered.

"Shiro?!" Pidge tried again, her voice rising in panic. "Keith?! _Do you copy?"_

Allura's eyes widened, and she stood up quickly. Pidge and Hunk also stood, looking at the princess with worry. "We need to get Lance to the green lion," she ordered them. "Hurry!"

Pidge was shaking, her eyes wide. "But what about Shiro and Keith?" she exclaimed.

"If they're not responding, it cannot be good news. The only thing you can do now is get Lance and your brother to safety," Allura spoke, her face stern, though her eyes were filled with tidal waves of emotions. "Hunk," Allura spoke, turning to look at the yellow paladin, but he was already ahead of her- scooping up Lance into his arms.

"Let's go," he spoke, his voice filled with resolve.

"We can't leave them behind!" Pidge shouted, enraged. "We can't lose more people!"

"We won't," Allura replied calmly. "You get everyone to the green lion. I will scout the Western sanction and search for Keith and Shiro."

Pidge blinked in shock, but didn't have time to protest. Matt grabbed her uninjured arm, making her meet his eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile, and Pidge nodded.

"Alright," she agreed, looking back at the princess. But if you're not at the lion in ten minutes, I'm gonna use her to tear through the base until I find you all. Nobody gets left behind- not this time."

* * *

  

Keith lunged his sword at a guard, taking him down before twisting to catch a staff from another on his bayard, repelling it and pushing the weapon back then downing that guard, as well. Lotor had disappeared with an cold taunting laugh once the guards had shown, leaving Shiro and Keith to fight for their lives.

They were severely outnumbered, and losing strength- no matter how hard they fought.

Keith could detect static through the comms- Pidge trying to connect to them, and he heard Lance's name, along with Matt's. Keith tried to reply- moved to do so, but a staff caught him in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him as he tumbled to the ground. He vaguely heard Shiro shouting his name before he looked up, eyes catching sight of the staff as it came whipping down at him.

He only barely managed to roll out of the way, and he used all his strength to push himself hard, sliding past the guard and slicing at them with his sword before jumping back onto his feet.

"Keith!" Shiro called after him, and Keith managed to turn around just in time.

Lotor appeared before him, crackling with a purple static of magic that surrounded him, filling the air with a metallic taste. Keith launched at him with his sword, but Lotor only laughed before he flung his arms forward, sending Keith flying and then crashing into the nearest wall.

He dropped his bayard.

Keith's vision swam, and he didn't get even a second to gather himself before Lotor was lifting him up by the collar of his armor, bringing him face to face. Keith kicked hard at Lotor's gut, pushing him back only slightly before Lotor regained his posture at an inhuman speed, and had Keith pinned to the wall by the neck. His long fingers wrapped around Keith's throat, squeezing tight and making Keith's vision blur and shake weakly.

"The valiant red paladin," he ridiculed. "I expected more."

Keith didn't know what happened, but suddenly he was dropped ungracefully onto the floor. He gasped for air, fumbling for his bayard and getting back onto his feet to find Lotor in a struggle- battling against--

Allura.

Keith withdrew his sword just as Shiro made his way to all of them, having taken care of the rest of Lotor's guards. He was bleeding heavily- bruised and battered, but he joined Allura's side and raised his Galra arm threateningly at the prince. Keith raised his own sword, joining his team as they backed Lotor against a wall. 

He only looked amused- hands raised in defeat, but a pleased glimmer in his eyes.

"Very good," he spoke in a smooth voice. "I'm impressed."

"You're outnumbered!" Allura shouted, her voice firm. "Surrender, and we'll spare your life."

Lotor's smile widened, and his eyes flashed with a secret. "No need for that," he spoke, and he was eerily calm. "I won't be going with you. But do not fret, we will meet again soon enough."

His eyes landed on Keith.

"Give the blue paladin my regards."

He faded into the shadows, and disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is my tumblr: www.spacegaykogane.tumblr.com
> 
> Here is karo's tumblr: www.karoviesart.tumblr.com 
> 
> HERE IS A LINK TO THE COMPILATION OF THIS FIC'S[ART](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11669583/chapters/26261598) !!! This link has extra art that hasn't been posted in this fic!!! It will update with every chapter added on, so be sure to follow it!
> 
> NEW UPDATES WILL BE DAILY UNTIL THE RELEASE OF SEASON THREE ON AUGUST FOURTH! Each chapter will be released around 12AM EST!
> 
> Please let us know what you think of this fic, and leave some reviews? :~) It really is encouraging.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> editing/writing while on 0 hours of sleep? w h o m? mE? never
> 
> So... how about that season three? Im s h o o k  
> I watched it to get out of my writing stump for this chapter, and boy did it help.  
> Rant to me (not karovie yet, she's still gotta watch it) about that fking beautiful season on my tumblr: spacegaykogane.  
> Enjoy the last chapter, and check out the end notes for an announcement!

**PART FOUR.**

_Like swimming in your eyes_  
_I dive in, I dive deep, I just swim_  
_I lose myself in you, blue wonderful_  
_Blue wonderful again_

The shock of seeing Lance in Hunk’s arms was enough to freeze Keith on the spot. They had all made it to the green lion safely, and Pidge hightailed it out of there immediately.

Keith tore his gaze away from Lance and Hunk to see Matt close by them, leaning against the wall and clearly exhausted. A collection of armour and weapons laid at his feet. Among the pile was the unmistakable blue of Lance’s armor.

Moving his gaze, he once again caught the sight of Hunk holding Lance close, not daring to put him down.

Lance did not look good.

He was terribly pale, and covered with bruising- his clothes and skin stained with both fresh and dried blood. He couldn’t clearly see where the bleeding was coming from, but he knew Lance had to be severely wounded. He noticed the trickling movement of something dripping down Lance’s side, and slowly moved his gaze down to see the few tiny crimson drops that splattered onto the floor.

Keith’s breath shuddered.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder and he finally managed to pull his gaze away to look up at Shiro. Their leader was looking Lance’s way with a worried expression on his face, and his grip tightened on Keith’s shoulder as Pidge dodged a fighter craft on her way to the castle.

Keith looked at his other friends, taking in their expressions. Hunk was crying but keeping himself strong for Lance’s sake, his lower lip quivering before forcing itself into a line. Pidge looked furious and focused in her piloting, her every movement the result of pure instinct and a strong bond with her lion. Allura was beside her, just as focused, talking to Coran on the comms and informing him of their status.

He looked at Matt again. He was shaking where he was leaning against the wall, and now that Keith paid more attention he noticed that Matt had an arm wrapped around his ribs.

Keith looked to the screens and saw them flying through the hangar doors.

The lion barely had time to land and lower her head before Hunk was making for the exit.

The others followed on his heels, except for Pidge and Keith. Matt was readying himself to leave the lion, and was reaching down to pick up the pieces of armor by his feet- his face twisted in pain. Pidge stopped him with a low murmur of something Keith couldn’t catch, and began picking up the pieces herself. She had trouble holding it all, so Keith stepped over to help.

His entire being screamed at him to follow Lance and see to it that he was alright, but he trusted Hunk and the others to get him into a pod. He was needed elsewhere for just a little moment.

Pidge gave Keith a small smile as he took most of the armor from her. Matt met his eyes and hesitated for a moment before he nodded in thanks.

When they finally stepped into the medical bay, everyone was sitting around Lance’s pod. Allura and Coran walked in immediately after Keith and the Holts, informing everyone they had done a wormhole jump to get to a safer spot. The Blade and Galra rebels were safe as well, and would be checking in once everyone was healed and rested.

With those words, they could all suddenly feel their exhaustion taking over.

It was not easy to see Lance in the pod again. He looked like he was in pain, much like Shiro had looked the last time he was in there, when he’d been having nightmares while healing. Lance’s expression flitted through agonized emotions, and his eyes moved frantically underneath his lids as he let out small whimpers and moans.

Coran was busy preparing Shiro for a pod as well, seeing as their leader had bloody wounds littering his body, and was walking with a limp.

Keith looked down at himself, only now registering his aches and bruises- a rib that prodded him the wrong way, and a throb that pulsed through his ankle. After giving everyone a quick once over, Coran deemed they’d all need to heal up in a pod. Everyone had fought hard, and though they had successfully hidden the extent of the damage they had taken during the mission, it was all revealing itself now.

Hunk had a long gash in his side- not too deep, but it would leave a bad scar. Allura was clutching at her left, where she apparently had deep bruises. She’d tried to excuse it, saying that Alteans heal faster than humans, but Coran had given her a stern look and directed her to a pod.

Pidge’s arm had a bad burn on it- her skin was cut into and bloody where it looked like a laser had grazed it. And Matt looked like an absolute wreck- he’d been through Lotor’s torture methods, it seemed, because he had bruises, cuts, and burns all over his body and face. Matt stood apart from the group, watching as his sister and Coran set up the cryopods. He was eyeing everyone warily. Keith found himself walking over and speaking up.

“You should get in one of those, too,” he suggested. Matt looked startled to see Keith speaking to him, his eyes wide. He then looked down and sighed before he nodded.

“You’re probably right. I take it you’re going in, too?” he looked Keith over without saying anything else. Keith just nodded. Matt looked hesitant for a moment, his eyes dodging over to the pods as they rose from the ground. “How… how do those things work, anyways?”

Keith could sense Matt’s reluctance.

“You’ll only be in it for a little bit. It'll heal you up in no time.”

Matt nodded quickly.

“See you when I get out, then.”

Keith gave him a smile. “See you then.”

* * *

 

Life after the rescue mission was strange. It was careful, and too quiet, and everyone seemed to be waiting in anticipation for Lance to emerge from his pod.

So much went unspoken- there was endless amounts of things that needed discussing, but nobody stepped up to the plate. Instead of confronting this unspoken tension, everyone filled their time with work.

Shiro and Matt had gone off to meet with Matt’s commanders and go through the codes he’d accessed from Lotor’s ship. Their trip would be one quintent, according to Coran, so the team waited for them on the ship.

Pidge was anxious all throughout Matt’s absence. On the first day after Lance’s rescue- once everyone had gotten out of their pods, the Galra rebels had contacted the ship to update Allura and the others on the details of their previous mission. Towards the end of the call, they asked when Matt would be returned to them.

After a particularly heated rant from Pidge, Shiro had managed to calm the situation, explaining that Matt was Pidge’s brother, and that the team would like to have him fighting alongside Voltron.

They’d come to an agreement, in the end. Matt would stay at the castle as long as he’d report to his commanders regularly with information, and to offer aid if they required it. Matt had agreed, and that had been that.

Once Shiro and Matt returned, the team filled their time with training exercises to occupy themselves. Matt was included in these, and he quickly fell in sync with everyone’s routine, sliding into place with them all so effortlessly. He fought incredibly the team- his weapons outstandingly well fitted for him.

They were black dual hook swords- razor sharp, but also tracked with green lights that hummed from beneath the dark material. The swords also doubled as tasers, and could carry countless amounts of code and information. Matt bragged about this, gaining praise from both his sister and Hunk.

Keith marveled over the weapons, and Matt beamed when Keith launched at him with question after question about them.

When the team wasn't training, they were spending most of their time hanging around Lance’s pod- checking on him, and voicing their concerns and endless questions on Lance's health to Coran, who was consistently monitoring Lance's vitals.

Though they tried to distract themselves, everyone was worried. Everyday activities on the ship weren't the same without Lance joining them, and the team eagerly awaited his return.

A couple days after the rescue mission, Keith found Matt sitting on the floor of the medical bay, looking up at Lance in the pod. Pidge was sitting beside him, and as Keith got closer, he saw she was braiding one side of Matt’s hair.

Keith found himself taken off guard. This was a whole different side to Pidge than the one he was used to. She looked so fond and relaxed, a smile in her eyes as well as on her lips as she spoke something to her brother, earning a laugh from him as he finally tore his eyes away from Lance.

Keith looked away from the both of them, feeling as though he were out of place- sticking out like a sore thumb.

Shiro had ordered everyone to leave the medical bay and get some rest a few hours ago. It seemed the Holts had rebelled the command, just like Keith was currently doing.

He felt somewhat awkward and almost like he was imposing when he stumbled upon the scene before him. But he refused to leave the room just because the siblings were having a moment. He felt like he needed to be by Lance’s side. To protect him. To make sure everything was okay. He made his way over to Lance’s pod, and sat down by it- a good distance from Pidge and Matt.

It was silent for a long time- nothing but the occasional murmur of conversation between the Holts. Keith took to staring at Lance, studying his profile and committing it to memory.

“He’s incredible.”

Keith had been so focused that he forgot there were other people in the room. He jumped slightly at the sound of Matt’s voice and turned to look at him. He was looking at Lance, then turned to meet Keith’s eyes. Pidge was done with her braiding and was looking at Lance as well.

“He got himself hurt trying to protect me. I didn’t even give him my name- all he knew me as was a voice from a vent. And he still risked everything to help me escape.”

Matt took a deep breath- he looked overwhelmed… filled with guilt and concern. Keith knew the feeling, he felt the same way every time Lance- stupidly courageous, kind, amazing _Lance-_ risked his life for the team.

“He’d gone through so much… he was so out of it after Lotor’s last interrogation. But when he heard him summon his guards to get me from my cell, he challenged him to a fight. He was barely even able to stand, but somehow he pulled through.”

Matt paused and chuckled before he continued.

“He decked Lotor in the jaw. Hard.”

Pidge snorted, and Keith smiled.

“Now that I think about it,” Keith mused, “I do remember seeing a bruise. That was _Lance_?” he exclaimed. Matt nodded.

That was impressive. Keith had barely even gotten close to Lotor, himself.

“That isn’t everything, though," Matt went on, "I think he must have gotten his hands on some kind of weapon… when the guards brought him back to his cell, he managed to take them both down. And even though he’d been shot by one of them- even after everything he had just endured, he still managed to break me out. He was amazing.”

Matt smiled as he finished. Then it looked like he realized something and he let out a sudden sound of exclamation as he brightened up.

“Why am I telling you this when I could just show you?”

“What do you mean?” Keith asked.

Matt knocked on his prosthetic.

“This thing’s more than it looks,” he grinned widely. “Filled to the brim with crazy advanced Galra tech. I created the prosthetic, myself. I can use it to gain easy access to the Galra systems we infiltrate. _So,_ I managed to download everything I could get my hands on when I sent out that distress signal. Turns out Lotor had cameras pretty much everywhere.”

Keith blinked at him and looked between the two siblings. He knew they were similar but this was just crazy. They were like clones. Matt grinned at his impressed look.

“That’s nothing compared to this one though,” he ruffled Pidge’s hair, making her laugh. “I taught her everything I could. Before I knew it, she was already far past me. Hacking high security government sites and systems just to see if she could. She's never even been caught,” his grin grew bigger as he gazed proudly at his sister.

Keith smiled at the two of them. They sat in a content silence for a while.

“He’s always been incredible,” Keith murmured as a late response to Matt’s earlier comment. They had all been looking at Lance, again.

“Make sure you tell him that,” Matt was suddenly serious once more. It was incredible how quickly he could change emotions. Keith instinctively sat up straight at his tone, and so did Pidge. They’d both felt the change in the air as Matt continued, “You guys didn’t hear him in that cell... He was going on and on about how amazing you all are. But every I asked something about him, he was a different person… quiet. Unsure. Putting himself down.”

The red paladin looked back at Matt in shock. That didn’t sound at all like Lance- not boasting, confident Lance. The one who claimed every small success of his deserved a parade. The one who bragged to Keith and the others about any cool moves he’d make in any of their missions.

Keith didn’t know what to say, but Matt continued.

“Have you guys actually told him how amazing he is? How many times has he complimented you all?”

Pidge was sitting up, looking wide eyed at her brother, then at Keith and then at Lance.

Now that they thought about it, Lance seemed to always do his best to make them all feel good, especially if they’d done something well during a mission. While he bragged about himself, he also got excited about all the cool things his team did, as well. Everyone unconsciously depended on it- it was why there was such a strange air to the castle now. It was why nobody had smiled, or joked around, or tried to lighten up the mood. Lance was the source of the team’s drive- he was everyone’s encouragement.

The team could barely function without him- how could he not see that? Why did the whole team know this except him?

Matt let the two sit in silence, digesting what he’d said. Keith didn’t look at him- didn’t meet his eyes. Instead, he looked at Lance.

Keith would let the blue paladin know how amazing he was. He’d make sure he understood how much the team needed him. Things were going to change around here.

Keith was going to make sure of that.

* * *

 

Matt and Pidge left the medical bay after a few hours, bidding their goodnights and heading off to their rooms. Keith stayed behind, watching Lance’s pod and thinking over what Matt had said.

He was dozing off when the room suddenly grew cold- a smooth _swoosh_ meeting his ears.

His eyes flew open and he was instantly on his feet, catching Lance as he fell to the ground. He held him up, pulling him close and looking him over.

Lance’s eyelids were hooded, his gaze hazy as he looked around the room, registering his surrounding. He suddenly realized he was being held, and looked up to see Keith. His eyes widened, and he pulled away just slightly before grabbing Keith’s arms tight with his hands.

“Keith,” he breathed, his voice hoarse, and Keith didn’t know what to say. He just gazed back, his own eyes wide and his mouth agape.

Lance’s eyebrows furrowed, and he looked panicked. “Are you… is this…?” he faltered, shaking his head in a frustrated manner and looking around the room before his blue eyes met Keith's once more. He continued, his voice very small. “Am I really here?”

“Yes,” Keith replied quickly, and Lance’s breath hitched in his chest. “You’re here. This is real. We got you back- you’re at the castle.”

Lance was suddenly crying.

Keith didn’t know what to do, so he pulled Lance close into a hug. Hands gripped at the back of his shirt, fingers clawing into it, and Keith rubbed a soothing hand up Lance’s back, into his hair.

Lance was murmuring something- a ramble of words that mixed up and fumbled out from his lips.

The one thing Keith heard repeated was “I’m sorry”.

Keith pulled away, looking at Lance incredulously.

“Why are you sorry?” he asked, genuinely confused. Lance’s face was tear streaked and red, and he tried to catch his breath, dodging his gaze away from Keith and running his hands over his face to wipe his tears. His long fingers stayed there, covering his eyes.

Keith put a hand on Lance’s shoulder, hoping it was comforting. He tried to compose himself- choosing his words carefully before he spoke.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, Lance. What you did… it was amazing, and so brave. You saved Hunk’s life- Pidge’s, too. You’re a hero.”

Lance pulled his hands away, but he didn’t meet Keith’s eyes. He just looked down at the space between him, a frown on his lips. His eyebrows were knit together, and Keith wanted to smooth the line between them… to run his hand down the scar that now lined Lance’s face- starting above his right eyebrow, and crossing over down to his left cheek.

Lance leaned forward, thumping his forehead against Keith’s shoulder and resting it there. Keith’s hands moved to Lance’s back once more, and he held him for a while.

“You should get some sleep,” he suggested once they’d been sitting there in silence for a few minutes.

Lance turned his head slightly so that his cheek was resting on Keith’s shoulder. He could feel Lance’s warm breath against his neck.

“I don’t wanna sleep… I wanna shower.”

“Then do that.”

Lance looked up at Keith now, hesitating before he nodded and lifted his head. Keith stood up, offering a hand to Lance, who took it. He helped him up, and they walked to their rooms.

When they got to Lance’s door, the blue paladin hesitated. He seemed like he wanted to say something. Keith spoke up.

“What is it?”

Lance met his eyes, then looked to the ground before meeting them again.

“Could you…?” he didn’t finish, but Keith understood.

He walked with Lance into his room, and sat down on the bed as Lance gathered his clothes. He gave Keith a quick look of thanks, and disappeared into his bathroom.

Keith sat patiently on Lance’s bed, allowing his gaze to sweep over the room he was in.

Personal items littered it- not in a messy way, but just filling the room with something unique. Keith caught sight of various things- trinkets from planets they’d visited, some clothes laid about on Lance’s desk- Pidge’s headphones, which she’d given to Lance after he’d continuously taken them.

It was simple, just like Keith’s room, but so different at the same time. Being in it calmed him, in a way. Keith found himself smiling.

When Lance emerged from the bathroom freshly cleaned, Keith was surprised to find him in his day clothes, rather than the Altean pajamas he liked to wear to bed. He raised a brow in question, and Lance gave a shrug.

“I’m not sleepy, just yet,” he explained. He was antsy, leaning his weight from one foot to the next as he stood. “I’m probably just gonna take a walk….”

At that, Keith nodded, then got up and walked towards the door. He turned to meet Lance’s eyes. The blue paladin looked startled.

“I’ll join you,” Keith spoke up, and he knew the way he said it left little room for Lance to protest. “Come on.”

Lance gave a small smile before he followed.

* * *

 

After walking in silence around the castle for a long time, the two boys happened upon the castle's observation deck. Billions of stars twinkled at them through the glass walls- washes of colors filling the galaxy that surrounded them.

They sat on the floor close to the back wall, looking out at the sky. The castle hummed softly, filling the silence as they watched the stars.

After a moment, Lance spoke.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.”

Keith gave him a questioning look, and Lance continued.

“You don’t have to… I don’t know. Take pity on me, or whatever… I’m fine, now. You don’t have to stay.”

Even as Lance said this, he didn’t look at Keith- didn’t seem confident with what he was telling him. Keith just frowned, trying to understand why Lance was pushing him away.

“I want to stay,” he insisted. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

Lance looked at Keith, and he seemed careful… guarding his emotions. Then he looked away, back towards the stars.

“Sorry,” he murmured after a long while.

“It’s fine,” Keith replied, but Lance shook his head.

“No. I’m just… I’m sorry. About everything. About putting the team in danger just because I couldn’t watch my own back. It was so _stupid._ I can’t, I feel so--”

“None of that is your fault,” Keith spoke, voice angry. “Lance, it could have happened to any of us. You guys were outnumbered, and they snuck up on you. You did the best you could.”

“And it’s not enough!” Lance exclaimed, looking at Keith again, and there was pain in his eyes. “Nothing I do is good enough, no matter how hard I try I always screw up, or fall behind, or get myself hurt, or put the team in danger, and I just…” Lance trailed off, looking down angrily before his eyes just grew sad. He stopped speaking.

Keith leaned forward, trying to meet Lance’s eyes. But the blue paladin just gazed at the floor.

“Nobody’s perfect, Lance. Everyone screws up.”

When Lance didn’t meet his eyes, Keith shoved him playfully.

“Some more than others,” he teased. That brought a smile from Lance, and Keith felt his heart flutter at the sight of it.

He never thought he’d see that smile, again.

“You know,” Keith spoke, and he hesitated before he continued, “we never really finished talking before everything went to hell….”

Lance looked at Keith with wide eyes, then away. Keith detected the blush that dusted Lance’s cheeks.

“I was hoping you’d forget about it,” Lance murmured, and Keith snorted.

“No way. Come on, tell me why you were ignoring me.”

Lance shrugged- a high rise and heavy drop of one shoulder. He refused to meet Keith’s eyes.

“I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t wanna have to look at your dumb mullet all the time.”

Keith gave Lance a look, but let it slide, since the blue paladin was smiling.

“Really,” he insisted. “Tell me.”

Lance sighed before sitting up, rolling his eyes. “Quiznak, Keith, I don’t know. It’s nothing, okay?”

Keith stared at Lance for a long time before he shrugged, looking back out at the stars and leaning back on his hands.

“Fine,” he decided.

He could practically hear the eyebrow raise in Lance’s voice when he spoke.

“Fine?”

Keith smiled. “Fine.”

Lance leaned back also, and his hand brushed Keith’s. Neither of them pulled away. Keith inched closer, his fingers falling over Lance’s, and was relieved when the blue paladin slowly moved closer, twining his fingers with Keith’s.

Neither of them said a word. Keith felt like the temperature in the room had gone up a million degrees.

It was nice.

“I don’t hate you,” Lance breathed out- so softly, Keith thought he’d imagined it. Keith looked to Lance, watching as he gazed down at his lap, his tan skin flushed. “I know I started our rivalry… but the truth is, I like you a lot. I like when we go on missions together, and when we argue over dumb stuff, and when we hang out. I like being around you.”

Keith smiled, and he nudged Lance’s arm, keeping their fingers intertwined.

“I like you, too,” he replied. “No matter how many times you call me Mullet Head.”

Lance laughed, and his body seemed to sag with a happy relief.

They leaned against one another, arms warm and pressed firmly together as they watched the stars. After a while, Keith noticed Lance yawn.

“We should go sleep,” Keith murmured, and Lance let out a hum.

“Yeah, but… I don’t want to leave. Not yet.”

Keith thought for a moment. “Me neither.”

So they didn’t. They continued to watch the stars until Lance pulled his hand away from Keith, stretching his arms up and letting out a groan before lying down on the cold metal floor. It didn't look comfortable, but Lance seemed perfectly at peace. He looked up, and patted the spot next to him.  

The next thing Keith knew he was lying down on the floor with Lance. They began talking and joking, making each other laugh. They kept it up for hours- Keith had never talked so much in his life, before, but it all came so easily to him.

The stars reflected in Lance’s eyes when he smiled, and it was the most beautiful thing Keith had ever seen.

He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but his dreams were filled with waves of blue.

* * *

 

When Keith woke up, he was alone in the observation deck- the spot where Lance had been was empty.

He freaked out for a moment, jumping to his feet and calling out Lance’s name in a panicked voice.

There was no answer, and no sight of him. Keith immediately hightailed it out of the room, searching the castle for Lance.

It was morning in the castle's established time. Maybe Lance had gone back to his bed in the middle of the night? Or maybe he was already starting the day- in the dining hall with the others.

But why wouldn't he have woken Keith up?

Panic filled Keith's chest, suffocating him. He didn't know where to go, and stopped in the middle of the hall. He tried to think.

Keith felt a low purr rumbling in his mind. He felt a pull towards the hangars, and followed it.

The purr lured him, and Keith made his way to Red before he stopped.

It wasn't Red he felt.

Blue...?

Keith made his way to Blue's hangar, and sighed in relief. Her particle barrier was up, but her head was laid down gently on the floor, her eyes filled with light. She was purring, and the noise reassured Keith.

Lance was in there. He was safe.

Keith waited a moment, staring at the blue lion. He couldn't help his concern, but there was nothing he could do.

Why would Lance go to Blue? He'd seemed perfectly fine, before....

Just when Keith thought they'd gotten closer... it seemed there was still so much more he didn't understand. Lance wasn't ready to let him in, but Keith knew he'd wait until he was. 

Giving the lion one last glance, and trusting her to protect Lance, Keith turned around.

The particle barrier came down, and Keith heard his name being called.

Lance was walking towards him, looking dazed- as if he'd just woken up from a nap.

"Hey," he yawned, stretching his shoulders as he walked to Keith. "What're you doing here?"

Keith felt his cheeks flush, and he looked away. "You weren't there when I woke up... I was worried," he admitted. Lance seemed flustered, and he rubbed at his neck before giving Keith an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," he spoke. "I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to wake you up. So I decided to walk some more... I found myself here."

Keith nodded, and gave Lance an easy smile. "Did you manage to sleep at all?"

"A little," Lance replied. "How did you find me?"

Keith shrugged. "I... don't know how to explain it. I think I heard Blue talking to me. Or, er... purring? I thought it was Red, but when I got here I...."

Lance seemed astounded. "You heard Blue?"

"Yeah," Keith laughed nervously. They both looked at the lion, and he continued, "Maybe she wanted me to know where you were so I wouldn't destroy the castle trying to look for you."

Lance laughed, but it was cut short. He looked to Keith, and smiled teasingly. "You were gonna destroy the castle to find me?"

Keith rolled his eyes, shoving Lance away when he leaned forward, fluttering his eyes in a pestering manner. "Well, duh. I mean- I thought you'd gotten taken again," he replied, trying to steady his voice. But they could both hear the fear in it.

Lance dropped the jokes, giving Keith an sincerely contrite look.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again. Keith waved it off.

"It's fine. Let's head back. The others should be awake- I'm sure they'll wanna see you."

Lance nodded, following Keith as they walked out of the hangar. "Alright, well, let's check the kitchen for them first. I'm starving."

Luckily for the both of them, everyone was gathered in the dining room, and they all rose at the sight of Lance- bright smiles on their faces and excited exclamations leaving them. Hunk pulled Lance into a tight hug, and Keith smiled as he heard Lance’s pleased laughs. The sound was comforting, and suddenly everything seemed alright.

When Hunk let Lance go and walked him to the table, Keith at their heels, he saw Lance pause and let out a very confused noise. He was looking at Pidge and Matt, and whirled to look at the others.

“When did Pidge _clone herself?!”_ he exclaimed.

Everyone laughed, and Matt smiled, meeting Lance’s eyes. His own were dancing with amusement as he spoke.

“Hello, Lance.”

Lance blinked, stalling for a moment. Then he seemed to register what was going on.

“Hold the phone…” he murmured, and his eyes went wide, “you--”

“The guy you met in Lotor’s prison is my brother,” Pidge explained, smiling. “This is Matt.”

Lance looked overwhelmed, and he drooped with exhaustion. “I need to sit down,” he sighed, and Hunk pulled out a chair for him, helping his friend into it.

While Hunk gave him some new and amazing food he’d made for everyone that morning, the team caught Lance up on everything that had happened. Lance remained eerily silent through it all, and didn’t offer much when questions were aimed back at him, no matter how subtle they were in trying to get him to talk about his experience. His answers were quick and clipped, and were usually followed by a nervous laugh that seemed a little too high to be natural. Every concern thrown his way, Lance brushed off and met with a question in return.

Keith gazed at Lance in a worried manner from his seat next to him. He noticed Lance had hardly eaten, despite saying how hungry he was, earlier. He was also spacing out far too often- gazing at nothing before snapping back to reality when someone would speak his name.

This was normal, Keith reminded himself. Lance was held captive for days… and at the hands of Lotor, for that matter. The things he must have been through….

Still, Keith couldn’t help but wish Lance would open up. He wanted to pry everything out of the blue paladin, but he knew that all he’d get in return was resentment.

When Lance was ready to speak, he would.

Keith would just have to trust that.

* * *

 

Going down to the planet of the Ipoths again was nerve wracking. Lance's heart was racing in his chest as he saw the surface approach. The last time he’d been here, he had gotten himself caught. And now Allura wanted him to go with her on the recon mission? Was she _asking_ for something to go wrong?

Lance was a failure who brought bad luck wherever he went. Why would she think it was a good idea to bring him on a mission like this? So he could be the reason some random building falls on a poor alien? Or accidentally say something insulting, and destroy any hope of an alliance with the Ipoths? Or  _blow up the freaking planet?_

Truly channeling his inner Hunk, Lance felt an intense need to puke. 

Allura had insisted they go in the blue lion. That way if something went wrong, they would have better defense and attack than in a pod.

Well, at least Allura was  _prepared_ for Lance to screw up.

Blue was doing her absolute best to calm him. She was purring loudly, and the vibrations shivered through his chest, loosening his tightly strung muscles.

Then, all of a sudden they were landing near the village.

Lance sat frozen in place, just staring at the village in front of him through Blue's eyes. This place was... different. Some parts of the city were still old, but even those parts flourished with new life and activity, and most of the buildings were new- tall spindling structures that seemed to reach for the sky. Lance hardly recognized it- the place had been completely wrecked the last time he’d been there.

“Lance?” Allura questioned when the blue paladin didn’t follow her to the exit.

“Coming,” he muttered before getting up- brushing his hand against Blue's controls for comfort. He followed behind Allura, keeping his distance.

As they stepped out into the fresh air of the planet, the Ipoths were making their way over to them in excitement. Their murmurs grew louder when Lance stepped off the blue lion.

He stayed behind Allura, determined to be out of sight and out of trouble.

As the Ipoths drew closer, Lance could now hear chatter amongst them. At first it was indiscernible, but it soon grew in loudness and intensity.

“The blue lion!”

“Is that the blue paladin?”

“The blue paladin has returned!”

“He has returned!”

Lance shrank back with every mention. He wished he could disappear.

“Princess Allura! Thank you for returning to us!” The elder chief Ipoth stepped forth with a smile, his arms spread out in a welcoming gesture.

“I am honored to be back on this beautiful planet of yours,” she smiled back.

“I see you brought the blue paladin!” the elder pointed out. Lance didn’t look up at him. He was too terrified of seeing disapproval on his face.

“Lance!” a shriek sounded loud over all the murmuring Ipoths, cutting off the conversation between Allura and the chief.

Lance couldn’t help looking in the direction his name had been shouted from, and soon the sea of aliens parted one by one to reveal the little child that was calling his name.

Naheel.

Lance felt tears prickle up in his eyes, and he let out a shaky laugh as he knelt down to meet the kid. He opened his arms as the small alien galloped towards him.

Naheel came running with such great force that he overbalanced Lance as he barreled into him. Lance fell on his butt as tiny arms wrapped around his neck in a fierce hug.

Lance was glad Allura had insisted they leave their helmets behind, because he hid his face in the alien's shoulder. Lance wrapped his arms around the little alien as his tears finally brimmed over.

“You came back!” the little child sniffed against his cheek. “I’m so happy to see you safe."

“It's good to see you, too,” Lance replied, still amazed at how far along such a young kid was in his development. He'd gotten a little bigger, but Lance still recognized him. There was no way he could forget.

Naheel let go of him to look him in the eye. He observed Lance's scar, and ran a small hand down it before meeting Lance's eyes once more. His face was grave.

“You saved my life. You saved the life of many others here. My new mothers included,” the chid reached his tiny arms up to wipe at Lance’s tears.

“Your new mothers?” Lance questioned, and he barely managed to keep a sob from escaping his throat.

Naheel nodded enthusiastically, a big grin on his face as he turned to point at two Ipoths who had stepped forth from the crowd.

There wasn’t much that told him they were female. He’d learned that the species didn’t have much of a difference between their sexes. Most of the time the only difference was their patterns, but even that wasn't concrete. There weren’t any patterns that were distinctly female or male. It was rather about individuality. Though some had softer features than others. And some had stronger and sharper features than the majority.

These two that stepped forward were polar opposites. One had the softer shapes to her, while the other had stronger, sharper looks.

He remembered them.

The stronger one had been caught under a beam, while the other was frantically trying to free her. And a Galra had been closing in on them. Lance remember getting rid of the Galra and freeing the Ipoth before shooing them in the direction the others had taken.

They were both smiling at him.

“They took me in as their own after the Galra took my parents away from me. We have been waiting for your return to properly thank you,” Naheel’s eyes were shining with with joy. There was an underlying sadness to him, but he was truly happy.

“You’re our hero. Thank you for saving our lives,”

Lance stared wide eyed at the young Ipoth and felt his tears start up again.

He hadn’t been able to save this kid’s parents. Yet he stood there with a bright smile on his face, thanking him. Calling him his hero. Overflowing with such pure gratitude. This was no lie. This little kid truly and firmly thought of him as his hero.

The mothers had made their way over and pulled him from his thoughts with their expressions of gratitude. They each leaned in to kiss his forehead.

Soon a smile was spreading across Lance’s face, and laughter bubbled up in his chest.

Allura ushered the three to pose with Lance without him realizing, and snapped a picture of them with Lance’s expression of happiness lighting up the whole photo.

More Ipoths came forth to thank him personally. They asked him to bring their thanks on to the other paladins as well.

Some handed him small gifts that ranged from homemade trinkets to bigger things such as clothes and food. Some were even clothing that looked to be fitting for him, though his anatomy was far different from theirs. These gifts were special- crafted and collected for him.

The Ipoths brought forth offerings for the entire team of Voltron as well. There were many types of food that had been growing in their city since the Galra had been forced off of their planet. And despite them not wearing much clothing, there were a lot of fabrics of different kinds as well.

Naheel saw the question in Lance’s eyes as he observed these cloths, and explained how their people had plentiful resources in their diverse ecosystem. They made a living through the creating fabrics, armor, and other wearable items. Sometimes even in just creating regular clothing to sell. The fabrics were of great quality and sold for high prices.

At the amazement clear on his face, the Ipoths insisted on showing Lance around.

In the end, they had taken him around the entire village and some of the nature that surrounded it, immensely enjoying seeing his interest and happiness.

After he returned to the chief and his people Allura had gently announced it was time for them to return to the castle, but promised the whole team would be back for a visit at a later time, and to check on their new allies' progress.

Hunk had a field day when he saw all the new and exciting ingredients Lance brought back to the castle's lounge. He and Coran enthusiastically went through everything and discussed its uses and flavors. They had a slight argument over what to cook- Coran was insistent on creating more of his "special Altean dishes", and Hunk was skeptic. 

To Lance’s surprise, Keith’s eyes lit up at the sight of all the fabric. Pidge found some clothes that fit her size, and almost had a nerd breakdown when she realized there were some clothes that served as an armor of some sort- embedded with advanced tech. Shiro curiously looked through all the goods, and his eyebrows rose in interest when he found a small trinket that was beautifully carved from a material that looked like wood. It was beautifully done, and painted with black and golds. Lance instantly thought of the black lion. Upon closer inspection, Lance realized the carving was that of what looked to be a remarkably realistic hippogriff.

Lance smiled as Shiro marveled at the figure. The more he thought about it, the more the hippogriff suited Shiro. He casually commented that Shiro should keep it for himself, and the man seemed taken aback before transitioning into an expression of pure excitement- like a kid in a candy store.

While Lance laughed at his leader's expression, Allura suddenly squealed over a elegantly decorated staff, her eyes dancing with delight. He remember her comment about wanting something sparkly from the space mall, and suddenly realized she hadn’t necessarily meant just jewelry. Although that staff was adorned with an array of beautiful gems, it also looked sturdy and fit for fighting.

As he looked around once more, he realized these things were probably obtained through tradings other aliens had done to get food or fabrics from the Ipoths. The team were all sorting through the items, trying to figure out where it all could have originated. It was incredible.

Lance sat back on one of the lounge room's couches as he watched his friends talk animatedly with one another, their eyes bright and excited. They all seemed so happy.

So why did Lance feel so... empty?

His smile fell, and he looked away.

He needed to be alone. Maybe he could sneak out of here....

Somebody sat down next to him, and nudged him in the ribs. Lance turned to see Keith. The red paladin gave him a questioning look, as if to ask "are you alright?". Lance returned it with a reassuring smile, and Keith hesitated before returning it.

They sat there for a while, Lance antsy and ready to retreat before Keith's leg pressed against his own, his foot locking onto Lance's.

It was a slight gesture, but the message was clear:

Don't leave.

You're not alone.

Stay with us.

The darkness emptied from Lance's chest, trickling away into its desolate corners. But it didn't leave- Lance wasn't sure he could ever get it to.

But right now, in this moment, he was fine.

He was going to be fine.

* * *

 

“I think it’s time for a mind meld exercise,” Shiro announced to the team, his voice gruff as he dodged his lion from another blow shot at them from the castle. 

The paladins had been getting back to flying their lions and working as a team. Allura turned the castles defenses onto them, just like she had done once so long ago. Lance thought they'd do better than the last time, but when the time came to form Voltron... they couldn't do it.

Lance knew it was his own fault- he wasn't communicating well with the others, and his connection with Blue faltered. He was hesitant- unsure, and it showed in all of his actions. He couldn't help it, though- couldn't help that with every fire of a laser, or with every shout aimed at him, he wanted to shrink up and disappear.

Or to scream.

Yeah, screaming sounded good.

But he couldn't do that- he couldn't show his weakness. He had to be strong for his team.

And he was trying  _so hard._

Despite his efforts, nothing seemed to be working.

Lance lagged behind the others as they walked into the training deck. He was definitely not looking forward to this.

Keith noticed Lance behind them, and stopped walking until he caught up. He brushed his hand against Lance's elbow.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lance murmured. "Why?"

Keith hesitated. "You seemed out of it, today. You're not like yourself."

Lance tried to brush away the red paladin's worries, giving a scoff as he waved his hand dismissively. 

"I was just getting back into the groove of things. Blue and I are solid, I'll be back to it in no time."

Keith frowned, seeming like he wanted to say more. But they were interrupted by Coran, who was distributing the mind melding bands.

The team sat in a circle, facing one another as Coran oversaw the exercise. Allura and Matt were at his shoulders, the latter looking especially intrigued- as if he were trying to understand the way the process worked.

"Altean tech sure is something," he complimented, and Allura and Coran beamed.

"We'll teach you everything we know about it," Allura spoke. "This ship could use a technician, and the only one we've got is already busy working as the green paladin."

Pidge spoke up now, giving her brother a big smile.

"I'll show you the ropes."

Lance's hands fiddled in his lap as he awaited Coran's instructions. His stomach was a twisted knot of nerves, and he wanted to get  _out._

The exercise began, and Lance made himself take a deep breath.

Get through this. Just get through this.

Flashes of memories came to him- the electric crack of a staff, and a chilling laughter.

Lance pushed it back, squeezing his eyes tight.

"Lance, you need to open your mind!" Coran instructed.

"Sorry," Lance murmured, trying to think of something- anything to distract him.

But all he could think of was the blue lion freezing him over... his mother's glare, and his legs gone- his team leaving him behind--

Keith shouting at him, calling him selfish and weak.

There was a prod against Lance's thoughts, then more, and he gasped in fear before shooting up onto his feet, ripping the band off from around his head and throwing it to the floor, letting it clatter as it settled there.

"This is stupid!" he exclaimed, panting as he backed away from his teammates. They all looked at him in shock, frozen in their seats. "I didn't tell Lotor anything, if that's what you're all worried about."

Shiro spoke up now, his eyebrows knit together in concern.

"Lance, we didn't think that at all--"

Lance didn't listen- he didn't believe them.

"I didn't let anything slip, I'm not as weak as you think. You're all safe-  _Voltron_ is safe!"

"That's not what this is about!" Keith exclaimed, and Lance snapped.

"Then why are we here! What are we doing?"

"Lance," Shiro spoke, and he was standing now, walking over. Lance stepped back instinctively, and Shiro stalled, stopping in his tracks. "We need you to open up to us. We need to know what happened on Lotor's ship. Not because we think you're weak- not because we think you couldn't handle it, or that you slipped information to Lotor. We're worried about you. We're here for you, but you're not reaching out.  _Talk to us."_

Lance sniffed, flattening his lips in a line when they quivered. He shook his head, looking away.

"Lance..." Hunk's voice spoke up softly.

"Let us help you," Pidge insisted.

But Lance shook his head once more as he dipped his head and screwed his eyes shut.

"I  _can't."_

The tears were coming- Lance couldn't stop them. They burned at his eyes, wanting to be let out. Lance gasped in a sob, his shoulders shaking.

 _"I can't,"_ he repeated.

Footsteps, and then a hand met his shoulder. Lance looked up, gazing through the blur of tears to find Keith looking at him, his face twisted with sadness.

He pulled Lance into a hug, holding him tight.

Lance wrapped his arms back around the red paladin, burying his face in his neck. The tears fell out hot from his eyes, and Lance hiccuped- trying to hold back his sobs.

Arms wrapped around his waist, and Pidge was at his side, pulling him into a hug, too. Then Hunk's big arms wrapped around them all. Then Shiro, then Allura, then Coran and Matt- until they were all holding Lance close.

And when Keith's hand went to his hair, running soothingly through it and brushing the sweaty tendrils from his forehead, Lance let out a content sigh. Tears fell down his cheeks, and he felt good for the first time since he got back.

Things would never be the same- Lance knew that. But now he also knew that they could get better- that he could continue to push forward. And he wouldn't have to do it alone.

He'd never be alone. Never again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that was the last of the chapters for this particular fic, but we were talking about doing some small one shots for this world as well so we will likely make this a series. if you're interested, please subscribe to the series! :) thank you so much to those who followed, and an especially big thanks to those who left such wonderful reviews! Karo and I geeked over them.  
> Thank you all so much!
> 
> come talk to us on tumblr!  
> spacegaykogane @ tumblr  
> karoviesart @tumblr
> 
> HERE IS A LINK TO THE COMPILATION OF THIS FIC'S[ART](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11669583/chapters/26261598) !!! This link has art that hasn't been posted in this fic! be sure to check it out!
> 
> Hasta la later, readers~~~~~~~~


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